Hearing and vision

Thinking about your child’s hearing and vision is an essential place to start when you’re checking their development. Any vision or hearing loss, even ‘mild’, can have a significant impact, especially during the early years when children are developing important key skills.

Hearing and vision needs can be hard to spot in children, as they can mimic lots of other conditions. For example, hearing loss can be confused with a speech or language issue, or with just not following instructions. Similarly, vision loss can be confused with a balance or handwriting problem.

Checking your child’s hearing and vision first, and regularly, is really important!

Hearing: top tips for what to look out for

Your child may have a hearing issue if they:

  • do not always respond when spoken to
  • have delayed speaking or communication skills
  • have difficulties with reading and learning
  • are withdrawn in busy social settings, or are more clingy
  • have problems with concentrating, or tiredness and frustration that affects their behaviour
  • are not hearing what’s going on if there’s background noise
  • are distracted, inattentive, or find it hard to listen
  • constantly ask “what?” or "pardon?"
  • watch faces or lips intently
  • watch what others are doing before doing it themselves
  • often have a cold (they may have glue ear, which is a build-up of fluid in the middle ear)
  • have red ears, or are pulling on their ears
  • need the TV turned up more loudly than other family members

You should discuss your concerns with either:

If necessary, your child will then get a referral to the local audiology clinic for a hearing test.

Vision: top tips for what to look out for

Your child may have an issue with their sight if they:

  • hold books, resources or classroom equipment up close, or are leaning in
  • have itchy, sore and/or watery eyes
  • have difficulty completing work on time
  • are not making developmental milestones
  • have horizontal and/or vertical involuntary rapid movement of eyes
  • are blinking repeatedly or are squinting and closing one eye
  • are tilting their head to one side in an effort to see better
  • are frequently rubbing their eyes during activities
  • have a light sensitivity and/or frequent headaches or dizziness
  • are losing their place while reading
  • avoid reading or close-up work
  • become irritated while doing visual work
  • have hand-eye coordination challenges
  • have handwriting challenges, for example, they write in excessively large letters or are struggling with writing on the line
  • are using their finger to keep their place on the page while reading
  • have difficulties with mobility or appear to be clumsy, for example by bumping into things
  • have difficulties with stairs and steps
  • have difficulties seeing in darker or dim lighting
  • show behaviour changes, such as being withdrawn, or are reluctant to play games or join in activities
  • have attention control difficulties
  • turn their head to follow a line across the page when reading
  • have general reading difficulties such as reversing letters, omitting words, losing their place, or missing out words and lines
  • are unusually tired after a visual task, possibly complaining that work sheets are too small or too feint

You should discuss your concerns with either: