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Did you know a common childhood disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is Otitis Media, or middle ear disease?
Otitis media is a real concern because it can cause hearing loss.
The best way to prevent Otitis Media is to get your child’s ears checked by a health worker, nurse or doctor during each visit.
This is because a child can have sick ears and not show any physical signs and symptoms of the disease.
The Listen `Ear project spoke to Dr Damien Howard, a psychologist working in the field of Indigenous hearing health who described some behavioural signs to look out for.
"There are a number of indicators and the best indicators are kids not talking much," he says.
Dr Howard says children experiencing hearing loss may not engage in conversations with others because they simply can't hear what's been said.
In the three to five year old age group, Dr Howard says children may not be using language and speech as much as their peers.
"They may tend to point more or pull on their parent's clothing to get their attention.
"Also it may take them longer to tell things because it does impact on their language development and they have to work harder to explain things themselves," he said.
For more information visit the Australian Government’s Care for Kids Ears website here.
 
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