Vision, Hearing, Speech and Language Screenings
The Speech Path is pleased to help service children in our offices as well as throughout the community by going into daycares and preschools to offer vision, hearing, speech and language screenings. If you are interested in finding out more about this service please email Kristen Nichols to inquire. If you are looking for the permission slip for the screenings, you can access it here. Vision
Vision is more than 20/20 eyesight. Vision is a skill like learning to walk or talk that should not be ignored. Passive visual activities such as watching television and computer screens do not encourage good vision development to cope with reading and writing tasks at the kindergarten and first grade levels. Children with learning related vision problems rarely report symptoms. They think everyone sees the same as they do. The vision council of America estimates that 80% of children with a learning disability have an undiagnosed vision problem. Vision screening is recommended at 6-12 months, 3 years, before kindergarten, every year for school aged children and any time problems are noted, yet only 21% of US children are currently screened. According to the American Foundation for Vision Awareness, vision disorders are the 4th most common disability in the United States and the most prevalent handicapping condition in childhood. Based on research, the National PTA and the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness estimates 10,000,000 students suffer with undiagnosed vision problems in our schools and that good visual skills are necessary for successful learning.
Hearing
Children learn from listening to other people talk. Good hearing in the first years of life is essential for speech and language development. Ear infections (Otitis Media) are the most frequently diagnosed illnesses in infants and young children. It is the most common cause of hearing loss in kids. 75% of children experience at least one episode of Otitis Media by their 3rd birthday. Almost 1/2 of these children will have 3 or more ear infections by their first years of life. Otitis Media can occur without obvious symptoms such as fever or ear pain. Weeks or months may pass where the child may not hear some speech sounds or the beginnings or ends of words because of the fluid in the ear. This could affect normal speech and language development. Every day, 33 babies (or 12,000 each year) are born in the United States with permanent hearing loss. With 3 of every 1,000 newb orns having hearing loss, it is the most frequently occuring birth defect.
Speech and Language
During early speech and language development, children learn skills that are important for reading and writing. Screening can reveal whether speech and language skills are developing normally, or if professional help is needed. Reading problems are frequently NOT outgrown. Three out of 4 children who read poorly in 3rd grade will continue to have reading problems in high school. The development of communication skills begins in infancy, before the emergence of the first word. Any speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on the child's social and academic skills and behavior. The earlier a child's speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse. The prevlence of speech sound disorders in young children is 8-9%. By the 1st grade, roughly 5% of children have noticeable speech disorders, the majority of these speech disorders have no known cause.