Child Not Listening? Try the Hearing Game!

The parents complained that their son didn’t listen. He was just four. A sweet little boy.

It’s not that he was wild, he just wouldn’t always follow through with requests. He would stand looking dumbfounded. I had the parents ask him to get a ball which was laying on the floor.

Pointing and nodding, the parents provided the instruction verbally and through simple gestures. The child followed through.

I asked that they try this again, but this time with their arms and head still. The child was at a loss and didn’t know what to do. He did stand looking dumbfounded. Having played a bit with the little boy, he was friendly with me.

Looking into his eyes, I asked that we play a game, the Hearing Game.

I showed him my hand as I rubbed my thumb and finger together to make a rubbing sound. I explained that I would do this over his head so he couldn’t see and he would have to tell me if I made the sound or not. The parents watched.

When I rubbed my thumb and finger together vigorously, he indicated having heard. Rubbing moderately, he wasn’t always sure, you could tell if he was guessing. Softly and it was unheard.

The parents were able to hear all of my rubbing sounds.

The child’s issues wasn’t behavioral or attitudinal or an issue of attention. He had a significant and previously undetected hearing loss.

He didn’t need a social worker and the parents didn’t need therapy.

The lad needed a good evaluation by an audiologist and pediatric ENT which he eventually got. I use this test with every child I meet. Kids enjoy playing the Hearing Game with me.

In addition to rubbing thumb and finger over head, I also go slowly, side to side.

Going slowly side to side gives an indication of a hearing loss on one side or the other. I have literally rubbed finger and thumb by one ear to have it only heard in the far ear. I am clearly not an audiologist, but one doesn’t have to be one to use this very simple screening tool.

Try it with your child. You may be surprised.

If you detect a hearing loss, seemingly in both or one ear, see your child’s doctor for confirmation.

The Hearing Game, because sometimes when a child doesn’t listen, they can’t.

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I am Gary Direnfeld and I am a social worker. Check out all my services and then call me if you need help with a personal issue, mental health concern, child behavior or relationship, divorce or separation issue or even help growing your practice. I am available in person and by video conferencing.

Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW

gary@yoursocialworker.com
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Gary Direnfeld is a social worker. Courts in Ontario, Canada, consider him an expert in social work, marital and family therapy, child development, parent-child relations and custody and access matters. Gary is the host of the TV reality show, Newlywed, Nearly Dead, former parenting columnist for the Hamilton Spectator and author of Marriage Rescue: Overcoming the ten deadly sins in failing relationships. Gary maintains a private practice in Georgina Ontario, providing a range of services for people in distress. He speaks at conferences and workshops throughout North America. He consults to mental health professionals as well as to mediators and collaborative law professionals about good practice as well as building their practice.