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The standard thresholds are:

Mild: 21–40 dB HL

Moderate: 41–70 dB HL

Severe: 71–95 dB HL

Profound: In excess of 95 dB HL

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British Sign Language

We worked with Deaf communities across Scotland to develop the British Sign Language (BSL): National Plan 2017 to 2023, which was published in October 2017.

The plan sets out the steps we will take between 2017 and 2023 to achieve our overall vision: to make Scotland the best place in the world to live, work and visit for people whose first or preferred language is BSL.

Developing the BSL National Plan

We ran a consultation on a draft BSL National Plan and published an analysis of consultation responses in early 2017.

Now that the National Plan is published, listed authorities including local authorities, territorial NHS boards and universities and colleges must publish their own BSL plans by October 2018.

Legislation and the BSL National Advisory Group

The British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 came into force in October 2015. It promotes the use of BSL in Scotland, primarily by requiring certain authorities to develop BSL plans that outline how they will promote and raise awareness of the language.

We set up the BSL National Advisory Group (NAG) to represent the views of people with BSL as their first or preferred language.

The BSL NAG - which is made up of BSL users and public bodies - is helping to inform the development of the BSL National Plan.

Deaf Sector Partnership

We created the Deaf Sector Partnership (DSP) to support early implementation of the BSL (Scotland) Act. The DSP is made up of five delivery partners:

Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) provides support and monitoring for the DSP.

From 2015 to 2017 we allocated nearly £900,000 via DSP members to:

support the development of the BSL NAG

support people whose first or preferred language is BSL to be as involved as they want in developing the BSL National Plan

support the inclusion of Deafblind people whose first language is BSL

help public bodies to be more inclusive of people whose first or preferred language is BSL and to help them meet their duties under the BSL (Scotland) Act

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Actions the Scottish Government is taking to promote and support the use of British Sign Language.

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The Value of British Sign Language – An Economic Analysis

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The Value of British Sign Language: An Economic and Human Case for Early Support

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Welcome to Contact Scotland BSL

Who do you want to call?

Explore our free app today

Welcome to your VRS world

What our Video Relay Service can offer you

Service features

What we can offer to all users living in Scotland

24 hours/7 days a week
Live BSL video interpreting available all year

VRS for all
Free calls to anyone from anywhere in Scotland

SignMail
Send or receive video messages to absent callers anytime

Delivered by

On behalf of

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of all the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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Scotland's national BSL video interpreting relay service

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An email has been sent to some parents indicating a change of ToD due to several staff starting phased retirement.

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Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy Service

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Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy Service

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Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy Service - Speech and Language Therapy

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Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and young people who have difficulties with communication or eating, drinking and swallowing. Communication difficulties can involve any of the following: problems with producing speech sounds accuratelystammering voice problems, such as hoarseness and loss of voice problems understanding language (making sense of what people say) problems using language (words…

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Contact the Parent and Carer Support team if you are finding it difficult to identify or access support for you, your child or a family member.

Send us information on any free or low cost programmes, activities or groups for parents, carers or families in Edinburgh which you would like to see included or if any content needs to be amended.

While aiming to provide the best quality information possible, we do not recommend or endorse any particular service which is listed, offer advice about choice of service and take no responsibility for any support provided. Email

supportingparentsandcarers@edinburgh.gov.uk.

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Find out about what support we provide for families

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The Deaf Action toddler group is weekly on Thursdays from 11-1pm. This group is open to all pre-school children. For more information please see Deaf Action's website.

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The DST is part of the Sensory and Complex Healthcare Needs Service managed by Lynsey Rosie.

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The DST is part of the Sensory and Complex Healthcare Needs Service managed by Lynsey Rosie.

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All parents/carers should have received an email confirming pupils level of support. Please speak to your ToD if you haven't received one.

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More information to follow asap...

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Sway: Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and more.

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Sway is an easy-to-use digital storytelling app for creating interactive reports, presentations, personal stories and more. Its built-in design engine helps you create professional designs in minutes. With Sway, your images, text, videos, and other multimedia all flow together in a way that enhances your story. Sway makes sure your creations look great on any screen.

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Legislation and guidance for families and professionals.

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What is Enquire?

Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. Providing easy to understand advice and information about additional support for learning legislation and guidance for families and professionals.

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Enquire - The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

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If you feel a child or young person needs extra help to get the most from their learning and are unsure what to do, we can help you.

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Edinburgh Learns Digital | City of Edinburgh Council

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Advice for Parents and Carers

All through school, learners are taught Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety (CRIS) as per the National Curriculum's Experiences and Outcomes for Digital Literacy, so you can be assured that your child will be prepared for growing up in in a digital world.

CRIS is a real team effort though, as more and more of our young people have access to the internet through their own personal devices such as a phone or tablet, or household smart speakers.

CYBER RESILIENCE relates to the device and its ability to connect to the internet. It looks at how to recognise threats, react to threats and recover from threats.

INTERNET SAFETY is about teaching our learners how to be safe, smart and kind to others when interacting with the online world.

The internet is not a thing, it's a place where children hang out.
As with any place your child is going, think of the questions you would ask:

Where are they going?

Who are they going with?

What will they be doing there?

Can they go on their own or do I need to go with them?

What you can do help keep your child safe:

Speak to your child about what they like to do on their device!

Show genuine interest about what they do online, play together, have fun together! Make sure they know they can talk to you if they ever see something that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Supervise their activity online

Ensure that devices are only used in communal areas in the house such as the living room and kitchen.

Set up a Digital Family Agreement

Think about how devices are used in your house, you can use this to help guide your conversation: Digital Family Agreement template - Internet Matters

Set Parental Controls!

You will find comprehensive parental control guides here, for various devices and platforms. Pay particular attention to the age rating on lots of popular apps that your child may be accessing - they are there for a reason!

Sites we recommend:

Internet Matters
Everything from screen time to tailored advice for you and your family. It is constantly updated and reflects current issues.

ParentZone
Articles, videos and even podcasts! All designed to give you the confidence to support your child online.

Family SmartStart
A free toolkit to support you if you choose to give your child a phone, including security set-up and privacy features, and conversation starters about how to stay safe online.

Lego - Build and Talk
Step by step activities where you can build Lego with your child while also talking to them about digital safety. Particularly helpful if your child has additional support needs.

National College
Amongst other things, this site has explainers about new apps or games you may have heard your child talk about, so you can make informed decisions about if your child is allowed to use them.

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Advice for Parents and Carers All through school, learners are taught Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety (CRIS) as per the National Curriculum's Experiences and Outcomes for Digital Literacy, so you can be assured that your child will be prepared for growing up in in a digital world.CRIS is a real team effort though, as more...

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An inclusive bilingual service enabling, equipping, and empowering deaf children to succeed.

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An inclusive bilingual service enabling, equipping, and empowering deaf children to succeed.

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We use the term ‘deaf’ to refer to all types of hearing difference. This includes deafness in one ear or temporary hearing loss such as glue ear.

The term ‘Hearing Impaired (HI)’ is outdated, and it is offensive to some. It is key that our language is respectful and inclusive.

The language we use speaks to our ethos and values. Our learners are not impaired. With the right support and appropriate adjustments, they are as capable as their hearing peers. That is what we are here for!

Unless otherwise stated, we use the term 'children' in the broadest sense, to include children and young people 0-18. We use the term ‘parent’ to refer to all parents and carers of children.

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Cochlear implantation: adult and paediatrics | National Services Scotland

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The Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP) is for profoundly deaf adults and children. Learn more about the nationally commissioned service.

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Newborn hearing screening: your baby’s visit to the audiology clinic

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Public Health England (PHE) created this information on behalf of the NHS. In this information, the word ‘we’ refers to the NHS service that provides screening.

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More information to follow asap...

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How Your Ear Works? - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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More information to follow asap...

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More information to follow asap...

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More information to follow asap...

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New to hearing loss | Information and support

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If you’ve just found out that your baby, toddler or child is deaf or has a hearing loss, we’re here to help with tailored information and advice for parents.

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Helen Pickett

Deaf Support Team (DST) | Sensory and Complex Healthcare Needs Service | Inclusion and Wellbeing Service

East Neighbourhood Centre | 101 Niddrie Mains Road | Edinburgh | EH16 4DS

Email: Helen.Pickett@ea.edin.sch.uk

Tel: +44 (131) 469 2850

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Anna Borthwick (Wed-Fri)

Chris Mackintosh (Tues-Thurs)

Fiona MacDonald (Tues-Thurs)

Helen Johnston (Mon-Thurs)

John Hannan (FT)

Luke McRobbie (FT)

Meriel Sweetnam (Tues-Thurs)

Robin James (FT)

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Andrea Murray (Mon, Tues and Thursday)

Beth Revuelta (Tues-Fri)

Catya Macduff (FT)

Gail Ferguson (FT)

Hazel Flanagan (FT)

Rose Henry (Mon, Wed, Thurs and Fri)

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Angela Prior (Mon-Thurs)

Marina Mackenzie (Tues-Thurs)

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Marnie Radmer (Tues-Thurs)

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Signalong provides training and resources to assist those with communication difficulties and English as an additional language.

Signalong is a key word sign-supported communication system based on British sign language and is used in spoken word order. It uses speech, sign, body language, facial expression and voice tone to reference the link between sign and word.

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Signalong provides training and resources to assist those with communication difficulties and English as an additional language. Signalong is a key word sign-supported communication system based on British sign language and is used in spoken word order. It uses speech, sign, body language, facial expression and voice tone to reference the link between sign and word.

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National Deaf Children's Society | Supporting deaf children

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We are the National Deaf Children's Society, the leading charity for deaf children and young people. We're here to support every deaf child who needs us.

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Deaf Action is a deaf-led charity that supports and celebrates deaf people. We work with deaf people in Scotland the South of England.

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Equality. Access. Freedom of choice. The BDA is the UK's leading membership organisation and registered charity led by Deaf people, for Deaf people.

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Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

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About Friday Friends

Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families.

About Friday Friends

Since 2018, in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council Additional Support for Learning Service, our monthly Friday Friends sessions have welcomed two groups to the museum:

D/deaf children and their families

Visually impaired children and their families.

All children attend mainstream schools.

The groups meet monthly and rotate around three venues:

Edinburgh Zoo

The National Museum of Scotland

The Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Friday Friends sessions take place in the Learning Centre on Level 4 when hosted at the National Museum of Scotland. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, please contact us:

Email: communities@nms.ac.uk

Phone: 0131 247 4313 (please note this phone number is not staffed every day but please leave a message).

Accessibility and facilities

We want everyone who comes to our museums to enjoy their time with us and make the most of their visit.

Find out more about our access information.

Supported by

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Friday Friends | National Museums Scotland

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Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families.About Friday FriendsSince 2018, in partn

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United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

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United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

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What is the UN Convention?

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the basis of all of our work. It is the most complete statement of children's rights ever produced and is the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty in history.

What makes the UN Convention so special?

The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child's life and set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to. It also explains how adults and governments must work together to make sure all children can enjoy all their rights.

Every child has rights "without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status" (Article 2).

The Convention must be seen as a whole: all the rights are linked and no right is more important than another. The right to relax and play (Article 31) and the right to freedom of expression (Article 13) have equal importance as the right to be safe from violence (Article 19) and the right to education (Article 28).

We are the only organisation working for children recognised by the Convention.

The Convention is also the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. All UN member states except for the United States have ratified the Convention. The Convention came into force in the UK in 1992.

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UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - UNICEF UK

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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the basis for all of UNICEF's work and upholds children's rights all over the world.

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Information and guidance on the Equality Act 2010, including age discrimination and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

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Multi agency support plans (these have currently been placed on hold by the Lothians Healthboard) but they are still taking place for children and young people with a CI.

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Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is our commitment to provide all children, young people and their families with the right support at the right time. This is so that every child and young person in Scotland can reach their full potential.

We want all children and young people to live in an equal society that enables them to flourish, to be treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and to have their rights upheld at all times.

Our ambition is to work together with children, young people, families, organisations and communities to make Scotland the best place to grow up. Through GIRFEC, everyone in Scotland can work together to build the scaffold of support children and young people need to grow up loved, safe and respected.

GIRFEC provides Scotland with a consistent framework and shared language for promoting, supporting, and safeguarding the wellbeing of children and young people. It is locally embedded and positively embraced by organisations, services and practitioners across Children's Services Planning Partnerships, with a focus on changing culture, systems and practice for the benefit of babies, infants, children, young people and their families.

Actions

We:

Background

GIRFEC timeline

2019: In September 2019, the Deputy First Minister made a commitment to the Scottish Parliament to seek to repeal Parts 4 and 5 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and GIRFEC guidance.

Contact

Email: girfec@gov.scot

Telephone: 0300 244 4000 - Central Enquiry Unit

Post:
GIRFEC Team
Scottish Government
Children and Families Directorate
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

Twitter: @girfec

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Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC)

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National approach to improving the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland.

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Additional Support for Learning Act 2009

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Additional Support for Learning Act 2009

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Footnotes

* In order to access health data, it is necessary to create an account within myPhonak app

IOS is a registered trademark or trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries.
Android is a trademark of Google LLC.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Sonova is under license.

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Phonak is committed to improving the lives of the hearing loss community. Our hearing products and community resources emphasize total wellness through social, emotional, and physical well-being. We believe that hearing well is being well and is essential for living life to the fullest.

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We’re TOTS and we exist to improve children’s literacy.

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We do this by telling parents, educators and legislators about the power of quality subtitles to improve literacy.

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The DST supports babies, children and young people (0-18) with unilateral (one sided) and bilateral (both sided) mild to profound hearing difference at home and in state education.

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Championing for our children until they are equipped to do so for themselves.

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Raising knowledge and understanding of the challenges deaf children and the deaf friendly practices that will help alleviate some of these obstacles.

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Supporting children to celebrate diversity and develop their own deaf identity.

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To assist pupils, families and schools in implementing necessary adjustments and appropriate support.

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We really value feedback on our work and understand it is an essential part of our support planning.

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https://forms.office.com/e/Qx7EUt48Ba

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QRCode for ASLS Deaf Support Team (DST) Parent Evaluation Form

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https://forms.office.com/e/MLYVscqLkn

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QRCode for ASLS Deaf Support Team (DST) Primary Pupil Evaluation Form (2025-2026)

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https://forms.office.com/e/AvXG4Hnw05

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QRCode for ASLS Deaf Support Team (DST) Secondary Pupil Evaluation Form (2025-2026)

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https://forms.office.com/e/AVth9BhqZR

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QRCode for ASLS Deaf Support Team (DST) Colleagues and Partners Evaluation Form (2025-2026)

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https://forms.office.com/e/7uGipdvUYG

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QRCode for ASLS Deaf Support Team (DST) Staff Training Evaluation Form (2025-2026)

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Cochlear is a leader in implantable hearing devices that help to restore hearing and connect people to a world of sound.

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Your child has signs of a hearing problem, such as:

speaking loudly

being difficult to understand

asking people to repeat what they say

asking for the TV or music to be turned up loud

strugglng to hear people far away

becoming easily distracted when people are talking

finding it hard to concentrate or seeming tired and irritable because it's harder for them to listen

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Find out what glue ear is, what causes it, what a GP can do to help, and how it's treated.

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Causes of glue ear | Information about glue ear

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Glue ear and related infections are the most common reason for children under five years old to visit their GP - 80% of children under 10 will get glue ear

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This system can be used to provide optimal support for language development, social exchange and comprehension, as conventional hearing systems or surgical intervention in young children are often complicated, irksome and do not always achieve the desired results.

Our child-friendly bone conduction hearing product consists of an electronic casing with a miniature vibration receiver. It transmits sound through direct contact with the head, where it is transformed into a nerve impulse in the inner ear.

The contact mini can be incorporated into a wide range of headpieces, hair bands and Alice bands in colourful designs with decorative motifs. Increasing numbers of adults are also discovering the advantages of this hearing system: particularly for sports enthusiasts, the contact mini is a practical companion for example when walking or skiing, and can easily be added to sports caps and ski helmets.

The contact mini is used by renowned hearing implant manufacturers in alternative treatment plans.

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This system can be used to provide optimal support for language development, social exchange and comprehension, as conventional hearing systems or surgical intervention in young children are often complicated, irksome and do not always achieve the desired results. Our child-friendly bone conduction hearing product consists of an electronic casing with a miniature vibration receiver.

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The majority of our referrals come from the NHS (Audiology). Parental consent is sought at a HAC for a referral to the DST.

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A referral can be made directly to our Team from schools but if a child has not yet been seen by Audiology we cannot add a child to our caseload. We cannot accept children on our caseload with normal hearing levels. Please contact the Team leader (Helen Pickett) in the first instance for advice as to whether a referral is appropriate or for advice and guidance with regard to deafness.

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“What can my child hear?” “What does their hearing loss mean?” The Familiar Sounds Audiogram eBook helps parents and professionals answer these questions together...

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Because of poor acoustics, students in classrooms miss 50 percent of what their teachers say and patients in hospitals have trouble sleeping because they continually feel stressed. Julian Treasure sounds a call to action for designers to pay attention to the “invisible architecture” of sound.

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Improving listening conditions | Reducing background noise

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It can be difficult for deaf children to filter out background noise if they wear hearing aids or have implants and schools have a duty to make adjustments to acoustics

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‎This is a fun app that children enjoy and respond to. It’s a real boon to any adult who needs to control the levels of noise of a group of children. For the responsible adult it is like having a virtual assistant with you, constantly monitoring noise levels and letting the children know in a fun…

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Programmes aimed at children and young people.

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Read reviews of books with a deaf character or focus written by families, deaf children and young people.

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Deafness, or hearing loss, happens when one or more parts of the ear aren't working effectively. To understand this, it's useful to know how the ear works.

The ear and how it works

The ear has two main functions.

1. It receives sound and converts it into signals that the brain can understand.

2. It helps us to balance.

The two functions are closely related.
Diagram of the ear
The ear is the first part of the hearing system. The outside part of the ear (pinna) catches sound waves and directs them down the ear canal. The waves then cause the eardrum to vibrate.

These vibrations are passed across the middle ear by three tiny bones: the malleus, incus and stapes (sometimes known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup, known together as the ossicles). The bones increase the strength of the vibrations before they pass through the oval window into the cochlea.

The cochlea looks like a snail's shell. It's filled with fluid and contains thousands of tiny sound-sensitive cells. These cells are known as hair cells. The vibrations entering the cochlea cause the fluid and hair cells to move, much like the movement of seaweed on the seabed when waves pass over it.

As the hair cells move, they create a small electrical charge or signal. The auditory nerve carries these signals to the brain where they are understood as sound.

For an ear to work fully and pick up sound, all of these parts must work well.

The main types of deafness

Sensorineural deafness, or nerve deafness as it's sometimes called, is a hearing loss in the inner ear. This usually means that the cochlea isn't working effectively. Sensorineural deafness is permanent.

Conductive deafness means that sound can't pass efficiently through the outer and middle ear into the inner ear. This is often caused by blockages such as wax in the outer ear, or fluid in the middle ear (glue ear). Glue ear is a very common condition, especially in pre-school children. Conductive deafness is usually temporary, but it can be permanent in some cases.

It's possible for children to have a combination of sensorineural and conductive deafness. This is known as mixed deafness. One example of mixed deafness is when someone has glue ear as well as sensorineural deafness.

Deafness in one ear only is known as unilateral deafness , which can also be referred to as one-sided hearing loss or single-sided deafness (SSD).

Very few deaf children have no useful hearing. Most deaf children can hear some sounds at certain frequencies and loudness, and with the use of hearing aids or implants they are often able to hear more sounds.

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What Is Deafness? | Main types of deafness

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Get more information about how the ear works and the main types of deafness, such as: sensorineural deafness, ANSD and conductive deafness and mixed deafness

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Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is a relatively rare form of sensorineural deafness (deafness in the inner ear). ANSD affects about one to two babies in every 10,000 born and occurs in about 1 in 10 children with sensorineural deafness.

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What is ANSD

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is a relatively rare form of sensorineural deafness (deafness in the inner ear). ANSD affects about one to two babies in every 10,000 born and occurs in about 1 in 10 children with sensorineural deafness.

ANSD occurs when sounds are received normally by the cochlea (inner ear) but become disrupted as they travel to the brain.

Children with ANSD are likely to have greater difficulty understanding speech and distinguishing one sound from another, especially when there's background noise. The difficulty they experience is more than would be expected for a child with a similar level of hearing. Whilst some children with ANSD will have exceptionally poor speech recognition for their level of hearing, there may be others who will hear in a similar way to another child with 'typical' sensorineural deafness.

A similar experience would be using a mobile phone when the reception is poor and the sounds they hear are distorted.

Typical features of ANSD

hearing that may vary from normal hearing thresholds to profound deafness

hearing that may change over time: it may improve, deteriorate (be progressive), or fluctuate on a day-to-day basis

difficulty understanding speech, especially with background noise

speech recognition that is worse than predicted for the child's level of hearing

difficulty in hearing rapid changes in speech (difficulty following conversation)

fluctuations in hearing related to body temperature (for example, a fever) has been found to affect a few children with ANSD

Why is ANSD called a spectrum disorder?

ANSD is called a spectrum disorder because if affects children in different ways, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

How ANSD affects the hearing system

ANSD is a type of sensorineural deafness. Sensorineural deafness occurs when the inner ear (cochlea) or hearing nerve is not working as well as it should.

The cochlea contains thousands of sound sensitive 'inner' and 'outer' hair cells. The outer hair cells help amplify the sound vibrations which travel from the middle ear to the inner ear. The inner hair cells then convert these vibrations into electrical signals which then travel along the auditory nerve as impulses to the brain. The brain then interprets these impulses as sound. Find out more about how the ear works.

With ANSD, the outer hair cells appear to function normally. ANSD can affect one or more of the following parts of your hearing system:

the inner hair cells

the synaptic junction of the inner hair cell and the junction of the auditory nerve

dys-synchrony of the auditory nerve causing disruption to the signal as it travels along the nerve to the brain

underdeveloped or absent auditory (hearing) nerve

impaired temporal resolution (the ability to perceive rapid changes in auditory signals over time)

auditory neurons in the spiral ganglion

brainstem auditory nuclei.

ANSD usually affects both ears (bilateral) but can also affect one ear only (unilateral).

Causes of ANSD

ANSD happens more frequently in babies who have spent time in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and is particularly common in babies born extremely prematurely (less than 26 weeks gestation).

Premature babies are more at risk of having ANSD because they are prone to:

infections

severe jaundice (hyperbilirubinaemia)

lack of oxygen or a period of dependency on a ventilator

some drugs used to treat neonatal infections are known to be ototoxic (meaning they can cause damage to the inner ear), which could cause deafness and ANSD.

Other possible causes may include:

Neurological conditions
ANSD may develop later in childhood for the first time. This is rarer, but may be associated with neurological conditions, for example Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease and Friedreich's Ataxia.

The reason why children have ANSD is not always known, but there is lots of research happening in this area. For more information on the medical and genetic tests used to try and identify the cause of deafness, read the information on our genetic counselling pages and our booklet, Understanding your child's hearing tests (PDF).

Testing for ANSD

ANSD is characterised by absent or abnormal auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in the presence of functioning outer hair cells.

There are several types of hearing tests that are used in combination to diagnose ANSD. These tests are usually carried out for babies who fail their newborn hearing screen or who are considered at risk for ANSD.

You can find out more about what each of the following tests involves in the hearing tests section of our website.

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test

The ABR test measures whether sound is being sent from the cochlea (inner ear) and through the auditory (hearing) nerve to the brain. A child with ANSD will have an abnormal or absent ABR. This may be due to:

damage to or absence of the inner hair cells of the cochlea

the inner hair cells not working together and sending a dyssynchronous (disordered) message to the nerves

damage to or poor development of the auditory nerve.

Some babies, particularly premature babies, may have an underdeveloped auditory nerve, so the ABR test should be carried out again once the baby's hearing system has had time to develop.

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are sounds that are generated from the outer hair cells in a healthy cochlea. OAE testing provides an indication as to how well the outer hair cells of the cochlea are working. With ANSD, the outer hair cells are not affected and so the OAE test results will be normal.

OAEs may disappear over time, even for children with normal hearing; the reasons for this are not yet fully understood.

Cochlear microphonic (CM) test

Like the OAE test, a CM test also measures how well the cochlea's outer hair cells are working. CM testing is carried out as part of the tests to diagnose ANSD.

Tympanometry and stapedial (middle ear) reflex testing

This test checks how well the moving parts of the middle ear are working. The middle ear muscles contract in response to loud sounds, and this reflex can be measured as part of the hearing assessment. Where there is a problem with the hearing nerve, as with ANSD, the stapedial reflexes are often absent or elevated.

Behavioural audiometry

Behavioural hearing tests are used for children older than five or six months. These tests use toys and play as part of the hearing assessment and involve your child listening for a variety of sounds as part of a game. These tests will tell your audiologist more about what your child actually hears, processes and responds to.

Imaging studies

Imaging studies, such as an MRI, can be used to examine the anatomy of the inner ear and auditory nerve to see if there are any defects or abnormalities.

Diagnosing ANSD

Diagnosis in babies

Babies who have spent time in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) may be diagnosed soon after birth because both OAE and ABR testing is carried out as part of their routine hearing screening.

Babies who are born well and have not spent any time in special care or NICU usually have just OAE testing. OAE testing alone will not identify ANSD, so if you have concerns about your baby's hearing or speech development, you should raise this with your child's doctor. They may refer you to an audiologist for further testing.

Delayed maturation/myelination

Some premature babies are diagnosed with ANSD but show improvement in their hearing over time.

This may happen when a very premature baby is born before the myelination of their auditory nerve has completed. Myelin is an insulating layer that forms around nerves, including the nerves in the hearing system. This myelin sheath allows nerve impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells. Myelination of the auditory nerve happens at about 26-29 weeks gestation before birth.

If myelination is not complete, a baby's ABR test will not give an accurate recording of the function of the hearing nerve. As the nerve matures, some of these babies may show improvement in their hearing over time. This spontaneous improvement has been seen in hearing thresholds up to around two years of age.

It is therefore essential to monitor babies and young children with ANSD closely to distinguish ANSD from delayed maturation in premature babies where possible.

Diagnosis in children

Otoacoustic emissions may reduce or disappear altogether with time in children with ANSD.

If your child has ANSD, the ABR test is unable indicate the level at which they respond to sound. So, as your child grows older, their audiologist will be able to get more information about their hearing using behavioural hearing tests.

How to communicate with your child

Children with ANSD need support at an early age to help them develop language and communication skills. Here are some ways you can help your child communicate:

Use visual support
Your child is likely to benefit from visual support (such as cued speech or sign language) together with spoken language, especially in their early years. This will help to ease your child's frustration at not being able to communicate when they are very young.

Reduce background noise
Background noise is particularly a problem for children with ANSD. Try to reduce background noise as much as possible when talking with your child, for example, by turning off the TV or radio. You can also try using soft furnishings, as well as wall and floor coverings to reduce echoes. Find out more about improving your child's listening environment.

Most children with ANSD do go on to develop good spoken language. However, some children with ANSD, even those wearing good-quality hearing aids, will not be able to hear enough speech sounds for them to be able to develop speech themselves.

For further information on supporting communication development and the different approaches available, visit the communication section of our website.

When a child has unilateral ANSD (affecting just one ear)

Children with unilateral ANSD should be monitored closely to ensure that it is not affecting their language, communication, educational and social development.

If a child has very poor speech discrimination abilities in the ear with ANSD, then they are unlikely to benefit from using a hearing aid but may find a personal radio aid or soundfield system useful. There are some situations where an older child will choose to wear an earplug in the ear with ANSD because they find sound quality on that side can be very distracting.

Technology for children with ANSD

Hearing aids

It is very difficult to predict whether a child will benefit from wearing a hearing aid. About 50% of children with ANSD benefit from some form of amplification, whilst others find hearing aids unhelpful as they are unable to overcome the distortion caused by ANSD. In addition, although hearing aids improve sound audibility, they do not resolve the problem of understanding speech that a child with ANSD may experience.

Because ABR thresholds are unreliable in children with ANSD, hearing aids are fitted based on behavioural hearing tests instead. This means your child's hearing aid fitting may be delayed until they are old enough and developmentally ready to undertake a behavioural hearing test.

Some parents and audiologists choose to wait to fit hearing aids until their child's hearing threshold levels are stable and consistent.

The professionals working with your child will want to regularly check your child's hearing levels when they are wearing their hearing aids, as well as check their understanding of speech and their speech development.

Cochlear implants

If your child has an intact and developed auditory nerve, but has not benefited from using hearing aids, then you could consider having them assessed for a cochlear implant.

Cochlear implants can overcome the problems of dys-synchrony in the auditory nerve because they give direct electrical stimulation to the hearing nerves. Therefore, children with ANSD may be offered a cochlear implant even if they have hearing thresholds better than the usual criteria for needing one.

Children with ANSD usually get similar levels of benefit from cochlear implants as children with typical severe profound sensorineural deafness.

Auditory brainstem implants (ABI)

Children born with very thin or absent auditory nerves may be considered for an auditory brainstem implant.

ABIs are still a very new development. Working in a similar way to cochlear implants, an ABI stimulates the auditory brainstem directly, bypassing the ear and auditory nerve to provide a sensation of hearing.

An ABI does not provide the same benefit or sound as that perceived by a cochlear implant. However, ABIs can help aid lip-reading and provide other clues used in spoken communication (for example, the rhythm and speed of speech).

Other technology

There is a wide range of listening and alerting devices that are beneficial for children with ANSD.

Pre-school children and school-age children often benefit from using a radio aid system. This is when the teacher or parent wears a microphone (transmitter) and the child picks up the voice directly with a receiver, hearing the teacher's voice through an ear-piece or directly through their hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Soundfield systems, where the teacher's voice is fed through a loudspeaker, may also be helpful in the classroom. These systems help to raise the speaker's voice to a comfortable listening level above the background noise.

See further information about radio aids and soundfield systems.

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Advice on ANSD | ANSD and childhood deafness

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Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) causes sounds to become disrupted - if your child has ANSD it is harder to understand speech and hear different sounds

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Groups for parents, carers and professionals working together to improve local services for deaf children

What are CHSWGs?

Children's Hearing Services Working Groups (CHSWGs) are groups of parents and professionals who work with deaf children and young people. They meet regularly to help improve health, education and social care services for deaf children, young people and their families.

There are 136 CHSWGs across the UK. Typically:

Groups meet three or four times per year.

They have 10 to 15 members (depending on the geographical size of the area).

Meetings last about two hours.

Meetings take place during the day, though a few do take place during the evening to enable more parents to attend.

A chair steers each meeting through a prepared agenda.

Groups use action plans that help them to work on priorities for their local area.

Each group member - also known as a representative or 'rep' - has the opportunity to share their views, feedback on any progress made, raise issues that are affecting deaf children and young people, and provide the voice of parents.

Who can attend meetings

Parents, carers and deaf young people

Parents, carers and young people, we warmly welcome you to attend as you are perfectly placed to gather feedback from other families about local services for deaf children. These can be shared with your local CHSWG to help shape the support for deaf children and families in your area.

Professionals

If you support deaf children and their families, CHSWGs offer you the opportunity to work together with parents to help shape services. You will play a key role in making sure that families and deaf young people have a voice at your CHSWG.

Health

Paediatric Audiology

Auditory Implant Centre

Paediatricians

Ear, Nose, and Throat

Speech and Language Therapy

Health/Local Authority Commissioning

Health Visiting/School Nursing

Deaf CAMHS

Education

Specialist Education Services for deaf children

Resource Provisions

Further Education/post-16

Social care

Professionals supporting children with disabilities

Early Help

Voluntary sector

National Deaf Children's Society

other local deaf children's charities

How you can get involved

For information on how you can get involved, contact our Local Engagement staff.

They can support you to get involved with CHSWGs in a variety of ways:

Introduce you to your local CHSWG meeting chair and other members.

Answer any CHSWG-related questions you may have ahead of attending your first meeting.

Support you throughout your involvement.

Provide access to helpful workshops and resources.

Email at [email protected] to find out more.

Join your local group: become a CHSWG representative (rep)

CHSWG group members are known as 'reps'. Email [email protected] for more information about becoming a rep.

Parent reps

Becoming a parent rep means using your own experiences and unique overview of services to shape the support for deaf children and their families in your area.

You can join for as long as you feel it will benefit both yourself as a parent and the deaf children and young people in your area.

There is a time commitment to attend meetings for two hours, three times a year. You will need to seek the views of other parents to feed into the meeting.

Most CHSWGs welcome the input of all parents who ask to join. There is rarely a selection process, although CHSWGs will seek to get a range of parents with children in early years, primary, secondary, cochlear implants, post 16.

Professional reps

Becoming a professional rep means working to ensure your CHSWG has a positive impact on outcomes for deaf children and their families. You will contribute to influencing strategic and operational decisions within local authorities and health trusts about local services. This will make a real difference for deaf children and their families in your area.

Find your nearest CHSWG

To find your local CHSWG you can:

The Deaf Education Map is designed to show you what's happening with education services for deaf children where you live.

Read more about the map and the different ways you can use it.

How we support CHSWGs

Our Local Engagement staff represent us at CHSWGs. We:

Support parents, deaf young people and professionals to be effective partners in their local CHSWG.

Ensure deaf children, young people and their families' voices are heard and acted upon in service development.

Help to assure the quality of services through gathering and analysing data, and monitoring provision.

Share information and best practice to inform and plan how services are delivered.

Offer advice, guidance and challenge to ensure high quality services are available and accessible.

Help to identify inequalities in service provision and address them through joint problem solving.

Make recommendations to inform and influence operational and strategic decisions.

Work together to safeguard deaf children and young people.

This helps groups to engage effectively with local services and service users, and coordinate and improve the services that deaf children and young people receive.

Resources for CHSWGs and current members

Action plans

If you're already attending meetings and would like to link with other parent reps via social media, then there is a dedicated Facebook page run by parents that you can ask to join.

Contact us

If you have any questions about CHSWGs or want to find out more about them, email [email protected] .

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children's hearing services working group

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Children's Hearing Services Working Groups (CHSWGs) | NDCS

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Find out how we support groups of parents and professionals who work with deaf children and young people to meet regularly to improve health, education and social care services.

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The DST offers a BSL club for deaf children at Primary school on the first Wednesday of the month at Deaf Action from 11.30am-12.30pm. Please speak to your ToD for more information or if your child would like to attend.

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Getting in touch with Deaf Action is easy. Contact our friendly team who will be happy to help. Services for deaf people.

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We have parents and staff BSL advise and support avaliable every Thursday from 4-5pm at Braidburn Special School. This support will be tailored to your needs and is an excellent opportunity for you to get some support from our BSL tutor that is relevant to your family. To book a session please complete this form.

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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The DST offers a deaf club for pupils at Braidburn Special School Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Please speak to your ToD for more information.

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Communication Matters | More than just talking...

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Communication Matters aims to increase understanding, awareness and knowledge of the needs of people with complex communication needs.

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APD is where you have difficulty understanding sounds, including spoken words.

We cannot accept children on our caseload with normal hearing levels.

Please speak to your Support for Learning (SfL) teacher for further support.

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Tinnitus is a common experience in childhood.

If a child has tinnitus and other physical symptoms related to the ear/hearing then you should ask your GP to consider a referral to both Audiology and ENT.

If a child has tinnitus and mental health concerns then you should ask your GP to consider a referral to both Audiology and CAMHS.

We cannot accept children on our caseload with normal hearing levels.

Please speak to your Support for Learning (SfL) teacher for further support.

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Introduction Tinnitus is a common experience in childhood: The majority of children and young people that do experience tinnitus do not feel distressed or affected by it and no treatment is required. Tinnitus is more common in children and young people with hearing loss and with otitis media.

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Hyperacusis is when everyday sounds seem much louder to you than they should. Treatment can help. See a GP if you think you have hyperacusis.

We cannot accept children on our caseload with normal hearing levels.

Please speak to your Support for Learning (SfL) teacher for further support.

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Read about hyperacusis, an intolerance to sounds that are not an issue for most other people. Find out about the symptoms, causes and treatments.

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Standards in Scotland's schools Act 2000

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Standards in Scotland's schools Act 2000

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Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000

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An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make further provision as respects school education, the welfare of pupils attending independent schools and corporal punishment of pupils for whom school education is provided; to make further provision as respects School Boards; to make further provision as respects the functions, constitution and structure of the General Teaching Council for Scotland; to abolish the committee known as the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee for School Education; to make further provision relating to the inspection of institutions within the higher education sector which educate and train persons to be, or persons who are, teachers in schools; and for connected purposes.

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10 June Saturday Youth Futsal Tournament 2023 View Detail 17 June Close House Hotel & Golf Resort Saturday England Deaf Golf Open Championships 2023 Close House Hotel & Golf Resort | Heddon on the Wall, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE15 0HT View Detail 25 June St. George's Park Sunday England Deaf Football League Finals 2023 St.

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Service for Deafness and Hearing Loss in Infants and Young Children