• Your child does not notice when someone outside his field of vision speaks or makes a noise, even if he is only slightly distracted.
• A frightened or surprised look when your child realizes that his name has been called (at normal or even fairly high volumes).
• Your child often asks “What?”
• Your child observes the facial expression of the person speaking very attentively.
• Your child sits close to the television set even though the volume is sufficiently loud for other family members.
• Your child adjusts televisions and stereo systems to an excessively loud volume.
• Your child does not react to voices on the telephone and/or constantly switches the receiver from one ear to the other.
• Your child is not frightened by loud noises.

The most important symptom of a possible loss of hearing, however, is a lack of or delay in the development of a child’s speech and language skills.