AIBU to think my daughter does not have a regular hearing impairment?

[Redapple202]

DD is eight and her third teacher has just approached us and stated that sometimes she does not answer, cannot hear well and that we should we get her hearing tested. Apparently displays classical signs of mild hearing loss.

Here’s the thing though- when it’s quiet, her hearing is bloody amazing. I said to DH the other day, “are we going to have dessert tonight?” in a normal tone of voice and seconds later DD is standing in the kitchen asking what dessert we have. So many times she’s heard us talking that we make an effort to be extra quiet, in a way we are not around her siblings. Her hearing in quiet environments is absolutely normal.

However, put her in a noisy environment or with a lot of background noise and she complainant everything is “blurring into one”’and she says pardon constantly. Ie, the background hum of a classroom or a coffee shop. When there’s background noise she’s a different child, she speaks less, talks far too loudly and complains she cannot join in with conversation.

Hence, AIBU to think that my DD does not have a regular hearing impairment, and then to ask does anyone have any idea what the issue could be? I don’t know how she can have good hearing and then as soon as there’s background noise she clearly has issues!

We have her booked in for a basic hearing test, but I’m sure that will just tell us that her hearing when it’s quiet is fine.

Thank you.

[Thisnamechanger]

Proper hearing tests do a background noise test as well. They put a thing on your head that makes a whooshing sound then do the beeps.

She sounds like me, fine one-on-one, hopeless in noise. I had a stapedectomy, it was brilliant.

[Tomtontom]

I have hyperacusis and it can present itself in this way. Ask for a referral to audiology if you are concerned.

[anniehm]

If you have mild hearing loss (which I do in one ear) you can heat fine in quiet environments but it's far harder when there's multiple sounds going on - get it checked and mention that she appears to here fine 1:1 but struggles in noise

[Thisnamechanger]

To answer your question I think struggling in crowds but ok in quiet is pretty normal for mild hearing loss

[EduCated]

Are you aware of Auditory processing disorder?

[EduCated]

Sorry, posted too soon, I really don’t know an awful lot about it but it was what I thought of when I read your post, and it may be worth investigating.

[CoachBombay]

Not an expert whatsoever, is it possible she is getting a sensory overload? So it sounds to her 100x louder than it actually is, hence her having to raise her voice 🤷

[RebootYourEngine]

I can not offer any advice but just wanted to say that i am the same. I struggle too in crowds and loud environments.

[gingerandsmall]

I have auditory processing disorder and recognise a lot of what I experience in her description, especially the 'sounds blurring into one' bit

[Redapple202]

Thank you everyone! I’ve looked at the auditory processing disorder link and I shall mention that to her teacher, although she’s never had issues with spelling or reading and is above average in all subjects.

She always sits in the middle of discussions, hates being on the end and she’s recently started requesting subtitles on movies. Maybe I’m just underestimating how different background noise is too quietness.

[LooksBetterWithAFilter]

It is quite normal to be able to hear in quieter environments than in busy ones with background noise. Ds1 always appeared like he could hear perfectly well at home but screamed as a baby and toddler in supermarkets and shopping centres. He could understand enough speech but was clearly missing certain sounds and pitches as his own speech was affected for a while.
I never really appreciated how horrible busy environments really were until I had a perforated eardrum and lost the hearing in one ear for a few weeks and it was horrible all the background noise takes over and you can’t hear the person sitting next to you.

You will ha e the chance to discuss this with the audiologist when you go for an appointment they will want an idea of what is happening so they can do the right test and look for the right thing but it could just be normal hearing loss having that kind of effect.

[Redapple202]

I now feel terrible because the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. We’ve recently tried getting her to use the phone to speak to her grandma on holiday and she had a terrible time and I do notice that sometimes she lip reads.

[LeesPostersAreInFrames]

I wear two hearing aids. I'm fine in quiet environments; different types of background noise affect me differently. Tall ceilings are horrible - a person can be standing a few yards away from me and I still struggled. Rain on the roof - forget it. Outside windy day? I'm not going to hear you for love nor money no matter how loudly you shout. All of which has gone now I wear hearing aids. I didn't know the birds sang so much. I didn't know hearing a car start two streets away was possible.

Go get her assessed. If she needs some equipment or anything to help, she'll be so much better for it.

[MadCatEnthusiast]

That’s not how it works, OP. For what it’s worth, I have mild to severe hearing loss. It presents itself as mild during one to one conversation where you might hear everything however place me in a busy train station and you’re not close to me yet you’re talking to me, I won’t hear you very well. You are talking in the same volume in the two situations however, I won’t and can’t hear you in the same way. In the noisy environment, I would have to ignore and separate the sounds I will be hearing and that is hard!

And for the test, it won’t be quiet. The audiologist will first place headphones on your DD and play sounds at different frequencies and she has to click/respond whenever she hears. The later part of the test then she’ll get another headphone on top that will create a shhhh sound as background noise and she’ll have to listen and respond to the sounds from the first headphones whilst listening to the background noise.

[Ohyesiam]

I think that defines mild hearing impairment, not being able to hear with background noise.

[rosiejaune]

I have the same issues. Look up King-Kopetzky Syndrome.

[Chouetted]

Very normal for mild hearing loss.

[Socksey]

I have >95% hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the other ear.
I often find the TV too loud or in a quiet environment, I can hear the very quiet sound. As soon as there is any low level of background noise, it all becomes a wall of noise and I can discriminate very little.
Btw.... I also have no idea what direction a noise is coming from.

[Socksey]

Also a basic hearing test does not look at speech discrimination.... which may be an issue....

[Bluntness100]

I think you need to take her to your gp. What you've said is not normal and would indicate she has some form of hearing impairment, she struggles not just with back ground noise, but with phones and she needs subtitles, she is also lip reading. The quicker you can get her help the better as it must be very difficult for her.

[SusieSusieSoo]

My mum needs hearing aids. She is fine in the quiet on a 121 basis. Utterly hopeless in a busy place. Hearing aids make the difference for her between joining in and following a conversation and total isolation. Please get her hearing tested x

[Witchend]

Ds has had glue ear since a baby. I would have not realised how bad his hearing was if he hadn't had multiple ear infections and been referred to ENT. He was lip reading most of the time when he was 3yo.

[BringOnTheScience]

DC2 has a "cookie bite" hearing impairment. They can hear low and high frequencies fine, but lose a chunk in the middle. The chart looks like a bite taken out of it.

Struggling in noisy environments is classic. Check her checked ASAP so that it doesn't imoact on her education and social skills.

[Ilnome]

I have audio processing disorder this word for word sounds like me. Its easier to hear in quieter environments (for me at least) because I cannot differentiate volume. If one person is whispering and one yelling I can tell which is which because the manor in which you speak for these things is very different but can’t tell which is actually louder it does tend to ‘go with’ dyspraxia adhd and disorders that affect the senses (also, don’t feel bad that you didn’t notice - your daughter has always been your daughter she wouldn’t have been able to tell you she was having problems if it is apd because it would have always been that way (more so as she ages from babyhood to childhood and can talk and read and write which this would interfere with xxxx)

[bookbuddy]

Sounds very much like my dd she had continuous glue ear for many years and had a hearing aid which helped 3 lots of grommets later she’s finally able to hear clearly without aids. Get her checked it’s very stressful for the child.