FUSD - Better Hearing and Speech Month

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!

Since 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association celebrates Better Hearing and Speech Month each May. There are a lot of dangers of noise abuse. Loud volumes associated with portable listening systems such as iPods and CD players, rock concerts, indoor sports events, and video arcades are prevalent throughout our society. This month of awareness is a good time to analyze your own hearing and determine if you are one of the estimated 28 million Americans who have a hearing loss that can be treated. Over 10 million Americans have hearing loss because of excess noise exposure. A Zogby International poll indicated that Americans listen to personal audio technology too loudly for too long, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that over 5 million youths exhibit some degree of hearing loss due to exposure to noise at hazardous levels. With the increasing popularity of personal audio technology, millions of adults and children across the United States are at greater risk of noise-induced hearing loss than ever before. It is important to teach your children to know when loud is too loud. Remind your children that it is too loud if:

You must raise your voice to be heard;
You have difficulty understanding someone who is an arm's length away;
You have pain, ringing, or buzzing in your ears after exposure to loud sounds; or
Speech sounds muffled or dull after noise exposure.

Below are some quick and easy guidelines you can follow to help protect your family’s hearing:

Be very cautious in allowing your preschooler to use any personal listening device with headsets or any form of ear buds. Before buying any sound making toy for an infant or toddler, hold it up to your ear. If the sound causes your ear to feel uncomfortable (ringing, buzzing, or muffled speech), either immediately or after a short exposure, then the sound is too loud and the toy should not be purchased. Follow the same rule for toys already in the home and either remove the batteries or discard the toy.
If you and your children attend rock concerts, do lawn work for extra spending money or to help around the house, or attend indoor professional sports events, please get into the habit of using ear plugs (cotton balls will not protect you). Inexpensive ear plugs that you buy at the pharmacy can reduce the sound by approximately 15–30 decibels and can bring the noise level within a safe hearing range without affecting the ability to enjoy an event.
When planning a large party where there may be a DJ or live band, tell the performers to limit their sound output to 85 decibels.
Have the children turn down the volume on their Wii, Nintendo DS, and Guitar Hero games.
If your children are learning to play the drums, electric guitar, or practice target shooting, have custom earplugs made for them to use when they are practicing before performing.
If you have school-aged children who like to listen to music using a iPod, Discman, or a CD player, use the parental controls, if available, to set the volume at a low level.
Finally, in terms of general hearing health care, make sure that you do not use Q-tips to clean out wax from the ear canal. Remind your children to keep tiny items (beads, Lego pieces, etc.) away from their ears.

Click here to view a video about hearing loss prevention public service announcement by the Better Hearing Institute.

You may have a hearing loss if you:

Frequently ask people to repeat themselves
Often turn your ear toward a sound to hear it better
Understand people better when you wear your glasses or look directly at their faces
Lose your place in group conversations
Keep the volume on your radio or TV at a level that others say is too loud
Have pain or ringing in your ears

People who see themselves in these statements should see an audiologist for a hearing test. Even a very slight hearing loss can have an impact on your daily life.

Hearing loss is treatable, and there is no reason for anyone to miss all the important sounds of life. Hearing screening in our district is conducted by the school nurse. Hearing screening helps in preventing, identifying, assessing, and treating hearing disorders. p>

Audiologists are the professionals that test hearing, prescribe hearing aids and assistive listening devices, and teach people with hearing loss how to make sense of the sounds they hear. They also hold a master’s degree and are certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

On the other hand, speech and language disorders can take many forms and can limit academic achievement, social adjustment, and career advancement. An individual may be born with a speech or language disorder, or it may be caused by accidental injury or illness.

Fortunately, most people with speech and language problems can be helped. Even if the problem cannot be eliminated, we can teach people with speech and language problems strategies to help them cope. People may not fully regain their capacity to speak and understand, but a speech-language pathologist can help them live more independently.

Speech-Language Pathologists are professionals who help children, adolescents, and adults develop their communication abilities as well as treat speech, language, stuttering, swallowing and voice disorders. They work in many different types of facilities such as: public schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, private practice, rehabilitation centers, state and local health departments, and nursing care facilities. Speech-Language pathologists hold a master’s degree and are certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Speech-language pathologists and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers (who work in conjunction with Audiologists) are available at each of our schools within the Fontana Unified School District to address the various needs of each individual student.

ThThe American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for more than 145,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language, and hearing scientists.

Click here to view a video spotlight about hearing loss by the Better Hearing Institute.

Did You Know:

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that approximately 42,000,000 people in the United States suffer from a speech, voice, language, or hearing impairment?
Nearly 28,000,000 people suffer from a hearing loss, however, less than 7,000,000 actually use a hearing aid?
Approximately 10 percent of children entering first grade have moderate to severe communication impairments, including difficulties with speech production, stuttering, and language learning?
Children with speech and language impairments are 4 to 5 times more likely than their peers to experience other language-learning disabilities (i.e., significant reading problems).
Speech and language disorders are very diverse and can present in the forms of articulation, receptive and expressive language, voice, stuttering, aphasia, oral motor, and social/pragmatic problems?
Speech and language disorders can be learning based, acquired, or the result of accidental injury or illness at any age?
Speech and language disorders can limit academic achievement, social development, and career advancement?
By December 1984, the cochlear implant was no longer deemed experimental and was given the stamp of FDA approval for implantation into adults.

How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?

Every child is unique in and has an individual rate of development. This chart represents, on the average, the age by which most children will accomplish the listed skills. Just because your child has not accomplished one skill within an age range does not mean the child has a disorder. If you answer no to the majority of items in an age range, seek the advice of a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Hearing and Understanding	Talking
Birth-3 Months Startles to loud sounds. Quiets or smiles when spoken to. Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying. Increases or decreases sucking behavior in response to sound.	Birth-3 Months Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing). Cries differently for different needs.font> Smiles when sees you.

4-6 Months

Moves eyes in direction of sounds.
Responds to changes in tone of your voice.
Notices toys that make sounds.
Pays attention to music.

4-6 Months

Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including p, b and m.
Vocalizes excitement and displeasure.
Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you.

7 Months-1 Year

Enjoys games like peek-o-boo and pat-a-cake.
Turns and looks in direction of sounds.
Listens when spoken to.
Recognizes words for common items like "cup," "shoe," "juice."
Begins to respond to requests ("Come here," "Want more?").

7 Months-1 Year

Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as "tata upup bibibibi."
Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention.
Imitates different speech sounds.
Has 1 or 2 words (bye-bye, dada, mama) although they may not be clear.

1-2 Years

Points to a few body parts when asked.
Follows simple commands and understands simple questions ("Roll the ball," "Kiss the baby," "Where's your shoe?").
Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes.
Points to pictures in a book when named.

1-2 Years

Says more words every month.
Uses some 1-2 word questions ("Where kitty?" "Go bye-bye?" "What's that?").
Puts 2 words together ("more cookie," "no juice," "mommy book").
Uses many different consonant sounds of the beginning of words.

2-3 Years

Understands differences in meaning ("go-stop," "in-on," "big-little," "up-down").
Follows two requests ("Get the book and put it on the table.").

2-3 Years

Has a word for almost everything.
Uses 2-3-word "sentences" to talk about and ask for things.
Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time.
Often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them.

3-4 Years

Hears you when call from another room.
Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members.
Understands simple, "who?," "what?," "where?," "why?" questions.

3-4 Years

Talks about activities at school or at friends' homes.
People outside family usually understand child's speech.
Uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words.
Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words.

4-5 Years

Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it.
Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school.

4-5 years

Voice sounds clear like other children's.
Uses sentences that give lots of details (e.g. "I like to read my books").
Tells stories that stick to topic.
Communicates easily with other children and adults.
Says most sounds correctly except a few like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th.
Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family. If you answered no to the majority of items in an age range, seek the advice of a Speech Language Pathologist.

You can download the following links for better speech and hearing activities such as coloring sheet, stickers, and Sudoku. Congratulations to Sue Tisler for being voted as the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year at Citrus Elementary School. Sue is a dedicated speech therapist in our district.

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