Audiologist Perspective on Conduct Disorder: How Hearing Health Shapes Your Child’s Behaviour
As a parent, it can be heartbreaking to watch your child struggle with repeated defiance, aggression, or social rejection. What many families don’t realise is that hearing loss—even mild or fluctuating—can quietly fuel conduct disorder symptoms. At Cadabams CDC, our on-site audiologists and child psychologists take an integrated view of auditory processing and behavioural health, so you get clear answers and an actionable care plan from day one.
1. Quick Overview: Hearing Loss & Conduct Disorder
1.1 Prevalence of behavioural issues in children with hearing loss
- Up to 40 % of children with undiagnosed hearing loss show externalising behaviours—hitting, lying, or truancy—by primary school.
- Chronic auditory deprivation makes it hard for kids to follow rules or empathise with peers, two hallmarks of conduct disorder.
1.2 Audiologist role in early identification
Our paediatric audiologists screen for:
- Conductive or sensorineural hearing loss
- Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD)
- Hidden hearing loss that standard school checks often miss Early detection reduces behavioural escalation and supports smoother school transition plans.
2. Signs Your Child May Need an Audiologist
2.1 Key conduct problems linked to hearing loss
Watch for these red flags together:
- Frequent tantrums when asked to “listen”
- Blaming others for “not speaking clearly”
- Difficulty following multi-step instructions
- Sudden drop in academic grades
2.2 Peer relationship & emotional red flags
- Avoids group play (“no one understands me”)
- Starts fights after being left out
- Reports feeling lonely despite having classmates nearby If two or more items resonate, book a hearing evaluation at Cadabams CDC.
3. Our Step-by-Step Audiologist Assessment Process
3.1 Hearing evaluation
- Pure-tone audiometry (age-appropriate games for kids under five)
- Tympanometry to rule out middle-ear fluid
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) for objective screening
3.2 Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
Parents and teachers complete the SDQ so we can map emotional symptoms, peer problems, and pro-social behaviours against hearing thresholds.
3.3 Interdisciplinary referral to child psychiatry
When results show both hearing concerns and conduct issues, our audiologist immediately loops in Cadabams CDC child psychologists for a joint session—no waitlists, no run-around.
4. Intervention & Amplification Options
4.1 Hearing aids vs cochlear implants: impact on behaviour
| Device Type | Best For | Behavioural Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing aids | Mild-moderate loss | Restores 80 % of classroom speech cues, cutting frustration-related outbursts |
| Cochlear implants | Severe-profound loss | Improves auditory feedback, easing aggressive behaviour linked to isolation |
4.2 Behavioural therapy integration
- Parent-management training (PMT) teaches consistent reward systems.
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) helps the child link thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sessions are scheduled on the same day as audiology follow-ups for convenience.
4.3 Family counselling & school transition plans
- On-site family counsellors coach parents in positive discipline strategies.
- We draft Individualised Education Plans (IEP) and share them with teachers before term starts.
5. Why Choose Cadabam’s for Hearing & Behavioural Care
- On-site audiologists & child psychologists under one roof
- Early screening for school readiness starting at 18 months
- Flexible appointment slots (weekends included)
- Financial assistance and EMI options for hearing devices