Professionals who support children with hearing loss in Northern Ireland

Last reviewed: 24 June 2024

Finding out your child has hearing loss can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. A range of professionals and services are there to support you and your child.

Audiologist

Your child’s audiologist is the health professional who will carry out an assessment of your child’s hearing and can identify whether your child has hearing loss.

You’ll be referred to an audiologist if your baby’s newborn screening test results do not show a clear response from one or both of your baby's ears. You can also ask your GP to refer you to an audiologist if you or your child’s nursery or school suspect your child might have hearing loss.

The audiologist will carry out several tests and explain the results to you, including what type and level of hearing loss your child has.

The audiologist will also let you know if hearing technology, such as hearing aids, could be useful for your child. If so, they can supply hearing aids and help you and your child use them effectively.

If your child might benefit from a hearing implant, the audiologist will refer you to a specialist who can advise you.

The audiologist will continue to monitor your child’s hearing and make sure that any advice, support and hearing technology is appropriate.

Usually, your child’s audiologist will be the person to refer you to education support services, such as a Teacher of the Deaf (ToD). You can learn more about ToDs further on this page.

Other health professionals

Alongside your child’s audiologist, you may meet some of the following health professionals. Their roles may overlap, and the specialists you see will differ from area to area.

Audiological physician

An audiological physician (or audiovestibular physician) is a consultant doctor who specialises in finding the cause and type of hearing loss or balance disorder your child has. They’ll give advice on how to manage your child’s hearing loss.

Ear, nose and throat (ENT) consultant

An ENT consultant is a doctor who specialises in dealing with any medical issues in the ear, nose or throat. This differs from audiologists who focus on hearing.

Although ENTs are experts in diseases, traumas, tumours and abnormalities in the ear, nose or throat, the conditions they commonly treat include glue ear and persistent ear infections. (Did you know that 8 out of 10 children will experience glue ear before the age of 10?)

Geneticist

A geneticist is a doctor who can investigate if there’s a genetic cause of your child’s deafness. Find out more about genetics and deafness.

Teacher of the Deaf (ToD)

A ToD is a teacher who has an extra qualification to work with deaf children and young people and their families. Their role is to:

• support you and your child with all areas of deafness
• support your child to access and make good progress in their education and development.

Many ToDs work for the Education Authority, and these are known as visiting (or peripatetic) ToDs. Visiting ToDs will travel to a child’s home, playgroup, nursery, school or college. ToDs may also work in specialist deaf schools or schools with a specialist base for deaf children.

When your child is identified as having hearing loss, a ToD can help you:

• understand your child’s diagnosis
• support their language and communication development
• monitor and support all areas of development, including mental health
• develop your own and your child’s positive deaf identity
• advise and support on the communication environment
• assess and monitor development and review targets and goals
• liaise with other professionals involved in your child’s care
• support key transitions into school, further education and work
• support education settings to be deaf aware and help them understand what they can do so your child can access learning
• advise on technology that can help your child access learning and everyday situations
• support you to understand your child’s rights and access support and benefits
• manage and care for hearing technology
• coordinate contact with other families with deaf children.

You will usually be referred to a ToD by your audiologist. You can also refer yourself by contacting the Education Authority’s Sensory Service.

Our ‘deaf education map’ lets you see how many visiting ToDs are in your area and helps you contact your local deaf education service. Check out our deaf education map.

Other education professionals

Alongside your child’s ToD, you may meet some of the following professionals.

Learning support coordinator (LSC)

An LSC is a qualified teacher who coordinates provision for and works with students with special educational needs and disability (SEND). All grant-aided education settings, from nursery to college, must have a named LSC. Childminders are also encouraged to have an LSC. LSCs used to be known as special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).

Sensory Service

The Education Authority has a Sensory Service dedicated to supporting deaf children and young people through all stages of their education. It's made up of a team of education professionals who work with deaf children and their families, including visiting Teachers of the Deaf. Find out more about the Sensory Service for deafness (Education Authority).

Educational audiologist

An educational audiologist is a Teacher of the Deaf with a qualification in audiology. They can help with hearing testing and hearing aid reviews in joint clinics within community or hospital settings. They can also guide schools on acoustics and how to create better listening conditions.

Educational psychologist

An educational psychologist is a qualified psychologist with specialist knowledge and expertise in areas related to child development and the education system.

They can help children and young people with learning difficulties, social and emotional problems, developmental disorders, and other special educational needs.

They work both with schools and local authorities to help improve the educational experience of all children. They can also work with individual children and their parents to help them achieve their full potential.

Speech and language therapist (SLT)

An SLT supports children who have difficulties communicating, eating, drinking or swallowing. They also offer advice to parents and schools.

They can help children develop their communication skills, whether in sign language or speech. Some SLTs are experts in deafness and can offer specialist support to deaf children.

Find out more about speech and language therapy.

Classroom assistant (special education needs)

Also known as a general assistant, a classroom assistant works with teachers in the classroom to support students. They might work with your child on a one-to-one basis or support a small group of children with additional needs. Classroom assistants are often involved in carrying out teaching and speech and language programmes alongside a ToD.

Communication support professionals

There is a range of professionals who can support your child's access to learning. These could include:

• communication support workers (CSWs)
• sign language interpreters
• notetakers
• palantypists
• lipspeakers.

British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL) tutors

A BSL or ISL tutor is trained to teach sign language to you and your child. They may have a BSL/ISL qualification or be a BSL/ISL user who also has training in teaching sign language. BSL/ISL tutors may also be called Family Sign Language teachers.

Support from your Health and Social Care Trust

Your regional Health and Social Care Trust will have a children’s sensory or disability service which supports children who are deaf or disabled. They provide a range of support so that deaf children can live with their families and have the same opportunities as others.

Health and Social Care Trusts provide different services in each Trust area. Support might include:

• technology to help keep your child safe and independent at home, such as vibrating smoke alarms, doorbells or a pager system
• financial help to communicate with your child, such as learning sign language
• a communication support worker who can support your child in the community
• travel training to help your child use public transport independently
• social care support, including short breaks, leisure activities and childcare.

Contact your Health and Social Care Trust to ask for an assessment of need. They will talk with you to decide what support you and your family may need, and then offer services to meet these needs. Health and Social Care Trusts contact details (nidirect).