Teens and Hearing Loss

The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that almost 20% of teens between the ages of 12 and 19 have some form of hearing loss – a 30% jump from the late '80s and '90s.

Researchers have found that exposure to loud sounds can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Researchers tested the hearing of over 5,000 children ages 6 to 19 years and found that 12.5 percent of the children had evidence of a NIHL. Using their data, the researchers estimated that approximately 5.2 million children in the United States have a NIHL in one or both ears, and boys appear to be affected more often than girls.

Do teens take their hearing and sight for granted?  There are many children that are either born deaf or blind due to circumstances beyond their control, no longer can see or considered legally blind, or are deaf.  These children and adults face many hurdles in life, however they soon realize they have many opportunities they didn't see before.

Located in St. Augustine, Florida School for The Deaf and The Blind is one of the largest schools of its' kind. The school is comprised of two departments: the Department for the Deaf and the Department for the Blind and Career Education Transition.

Parent Sign Languages classes begin September 9th.  For more information, or to register for this class, please contact: Kim Satterfield, FSDB Parent Liaison, Voice: (904) 827-2988, Videophone (904) 201-4527, or e-mail satterfielk@fsdb.k12.fl.us.

Sources: New York Times, Connect with Kids, Florida School for The Deaf and The Blind

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