Audiologic Findings with Down Syndrome

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Down Syndrome, a disability typically characterized by mental retardation, has a high incidence of hearing loss. Physically, a person with Down Syndrome may have small and/or deformed, low set pinnae and very narrow external auditory canals, which in and of itself do not cause hearing problems. Down Syndrome individuals, however, have a very high incidence of otitis media (middle ear infections), causing mild to moderate conductive hearing loss. With medical treatment, otitis media can be resolved and hearing sensitivity improved, but studies have also shown a high incidence of anomalies to the middle ear ossicles (bones in the middle ear), making the conductive hearing loss a chronic condition requiring amplification. Although not as common, individuals with Down Syndrome have a higher incidence of sensorineural or mixed hearing loss than the normal population. It is therefore, essential to aggressively monitor Down Syndrome individuals for hearing loss and make appropriate medical and audiological recommendations.

Wende Yellin has been an audiologist for over 20 years in a variety of medical settings. She is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northern Arizona University. She can be reached at wende.yellin@nau.edu.