This website is all about middle ear disease (sick ears or otitis media) and listening problems (hearing loss) common in Indigenous children and adults.
Sick ears can cause hearing loss in little kids. This kind of hearing loss can come and go as kids grow up. When ears are sick, kids can’t hear properly. When ears are healthy, kids can hear again.
Getting sick ears a lot damages little kids ears, sometimes for the rest of their life. Getting sick ears a lot can cause permanent hearing loss. Kids with sick ears can also have trouble making sense of sounds (auditory processing problems).
Having lots of sick ears can change kid’s lives. Kids have more problems living and learning because they can’t hear properly.
People all around the world have sick ears and listening problems when they live with disadvantage.
Early childhood educators and families can do many things to prevent kids getting sick ears and support Indigenous kids who have listening problems because of sick ears.
This site provides lots of information to help early childhood educators, mentors, trainers, teachers and families. Learn how to prevent kids from getting sick ears (middle ear disease) and to help kids who already have listening problems (hearing loss).
- Childcare workers
- Helping families to help their kids
- Videos about hearing loss
- Too much noise can give kids hearing loss
- Why good hearing is important
All around the world where people live in disadvantaged conditions (poverty, crowded housing, poor nutrition, poor hygiene) children have a lot of middle ear disease and hearing loss. It is estimated that 60% of people in developing countries have some degree of hearing loss from ear disease. Indigenous people in Australia have one of the highest rates of hearing loss in the world, as a result of ear disease.