Deafness and additional needs

If your child has any level of deafness as well as an additional need, it’s important to be aware of how their deafness and additional needs affect each other. Read our information on some of the different types of additional needs for an overview and links to other organisations that may be able to provide support.

Balance disorders can be difficult to detect in children as they can find it difficult to describe symptoms or understand what they're feeling. Find out more about childhood deafness and balance disorders.

Around 40 percent of deaf children have a problem with their sight or are visually impaired. Find out more about deaf children and vision.

Many children with Down’s syndrome have some degree of hearing loss. Find out more about Down's syndrome and childhood deafness.

Find out about how deafness and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) interact, getting a diagnosis and parenting a deaf child who has ADHD.

Both deafness and autism can impact communication and language, learning and mental well-being. Read about how deafness and autism interact, getting a diagnosis and parenting a deaf child who is autistic.

Information about what tinnitus is and how the effects can be managed for deaf children and young people.

Many deaf children with additional needs can communicate effectively using the same communication methods as deaf children without additional needs, such as sign language, spoken language, or a combination of both. However, some deaf children with additional needs will need to use a more specialised communication method.