Hearing loss is one of the most commonly unidentified and misdiagnosed conditions in early childhood. Approximately 1 out of every 300 children in the country is born with a permanent hearing loss. About that same number will lose their hearing after birth and before entering school. The repercussions of unidentified hearing loss are significant. It is estimated that annually over 6 000 babies in South Africa are born with bilateral, permanent hearing loss which affect their speech and language development. The most intensive period for development of language, either spoken or signed, is during the first 3 years of life. This is the period when the brain is developing and maturing. The skills associated with effective acquisition of language, either speech or sign, depend on exposure to, and manipulation of, these communication tools.

Early identification and intervention have lifelong implications for the child’s understanding and use of language. For this reason Mr Rodney Sekgobela, a speech therapist and audiologist from the Bohlale Health care centre, hosted a workshop on the early detection of hearing disabilities for early childhood practitioners at the Osizweni Toy Library on 8 August 2018.

Should a practitioner identify a child with a hearing disability, they should refer them to an audiologist for proper screening and evaluation. From there further treatment will be discussed.

The Bohlale healthcare centre offers the B-Bohlale Hearing & language Screening Program. “B-Bohlale” is a hearing and language screening program that is used widely in newborn, pre-schoolers and learners. The screening program is the most accepted method that non-audiologists and speech therapist can use to reliably, objectively, and efficiently screen/evaluate young children for hearing loss and language development.

Should you wish to get in contact with the centre please see contact details below.

www.bohlalehealthcare.co.za

Phone: 0813636696

info@bohlalehealthcare.co.za