Children with hearing loss or hearing impairment may be able to hear some sounds or nothing at all. “Impairment” means that something isn’t working correctly or as well as it should. Kids may be born with hearing loss. Or, it may be caused later by things like an injury or infection. If your child has hearing loss, our Nemours audiologists will work with you to figure out what’s going on. And we’ll help you become an expert in your child's hearing loss so they can do and feel their best as they grow.

Learn More About Hearing Evaluation and Hearing Loss in Children

We see a full spectrum of conditions — far too many to list here. The conditions we treat vary depending on the location and providers selected. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.

• central hearing loss (when the inner ear is working the way it should, but other parts of the brain are not)
• conductive hearing loss (when sound is blocked from traveling through the hearing pathway, from problems such as middle ear fluid or wax build-up)
• mixed hearing loss (when there’s both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss at the same time)
• noise induced hearing loss (caused by exposure to loud sounds over a period of time or a really loud blast)
• sensorineural hearing loss (caused by damage to the inner ear or to the pathways from the inner ear to the brain)

At Nemours, we offer a full range of services for kids with hearing loss or hearing impairment, including complete testing and treatment. Depending on your child’s condition and the location you visit, your care team may include:

• audiologists
• ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors
• speech-language pathologists
• behavioral health specialists
• deaf educators
• neurologists
• geneticists

If your child is diagnosed with hearing impairment, our audiologists may recommend one or more of these treatments, based on your child’s needs: 

• auditory verbal therapy (AVT) (speech-language therapy to help children develop hearing and speaking skills)
• cochlear implants, including programming and therapy
• frequency modulated (FM) systems (systems that make voices and other sounds louder to help kids who have trouble hearing and understanding because of background noise or distance)
• hearing aids (devices to strengthen the sound traveling to the eardrum)
• implantable hearing devices (surgically placed devices that help the bones of the middle ear move so sound reaches the inner ear)

At Nemours, our large team of hearing loss experts uses advanced techniques to figure out how best to help your child. And because our doctors and therapists are often all conveniently located under one roof, your child may be able to have multiple appointments scheduled in one day.

Regional Hearing Loss Highlights

Services, programs, facilities and care teams differ at each location. Call for details.

Sometimes the best support and peace of mind comes from families who’ve been there. Meet some of the inspiring kids we’ve been honored to treat.

See Patient Stories »