Hearing loss puts a child's normal speech and language development in jeopardy so it is imperative that any hearing impairment be identified in the first few years of a child’s life. A young child can experience hearing loss for different reasons. For instance, the most prevalent temporary impairment in a child’s ability to hear occurs due to an accumulation of fluid in the ear canal during a common cold or ear infection. However, youngsters with permanent damage or genetic hearing loss will need to be diagnosed as soon as possible by their primary care givers.

Prof. Anne Marie Tharpe, Professor & Chair, Department of Hearing & Speech, Sciences Associate Director, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Centre, Tennessee, USA, speaking during the opening day of the seventh edition of the Middle East Update in Otolaryngology Exhibition & Conference – Head and Neck Surgery taking place from February 14 to 16, 2010, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, discussed the prevalence of developmental disabilities that occur with deafness and the identifying markers that audiologists should be aware of when diagnosing hearing impairment or loss versus other developmental disabilities in children, such as autism.