Sina was an energetic and otherwise healthy 14-year-old, but her parents were puzzled.
“We were a little bit confused about why Sina wouldn’t answer when we called her name. We’d need to signal to her to get her to respond,” says her mother Punipuao.
It was only when she had a hearing screening check at her high school that Sina’s family and teachers realised there might be an issue.
She was referred for a full hearing assessment and now has a set of hearing aids.
“She’s excited that she can now hear her teachers, her classmates, and her family,” says Punipuao.
“Having hearing aids have changed Sina’s life and our family’s life too.”
The hearing checks were carried out by the National Foundation for the Deaf, which has been running its hearing screening programmes in high schools since 2019.
“We have checked the hearing of more than 10,000 year 9 students since the programme began and have been teaching them about how to protect their ears from harmful noise too,” says Agnes Mika, the Foundation’s Community Partnership Administrator.
In 2023, 37% of year 9 students were listening to their personal devices at unsafe volumes and 23% self-reported ringing in the ears or otherwise known as Tinnitus.
In addition, of those students who were referred for a full diagnostic hearing assessment, 53% required hearing health intervention, including being fitted for hearing aids, just like Sina.
“If a young person is struggling with their learning, it could be because of an underlying – and undetected – health issue,” says Agnes.
In Sina’s case, as she is under the age of 21 and in full-time education, her hearing aids are fully funded by the Ministry of Health.
“We were told that the hearing aids cost around $10,000” says Sina’s mother. “So, for Sina to be able to have them at no cost is a blessing for her and our family.”
Even a mild hearing loss can result in life-long impacts on education, social wellbeing, and mental health.
“The core programmes that the Foundation deliver focus on three main principles,” says Foundation Chief Executive Natasha Gallardo.
“We are trying to create more inclusive environments for preschool children, students and employees who are Deaf or hard of hearing; as well as educating people on ways to protect their hearing and prevent hearing loss; and ensuring that timely diagnosis and support is available.”
The Foundation’s School Hearing Screening Programme aims to pick up early signs of hearing loss as the students start their secondary school education.
This year the Foundation plans to deliver the programme to 65 secondary schools throughout New Zealand.
These include Manurewa High School, where the Foundation has been checking students’ hearing since 2019.
“Being able to hear is such an important part of learning. But many students and their whanau may not realise there is an issue,” says the school’s Principal, Pete Jones.”
He believes testing the pupils’ hearing at school is far more effective than leaving parents to seek help.
“Particularly in a community like ours it can be really challenging and difficult for many families to access health services, even if they know there is an issue.
“We know this sort of program works; we know it works from being school based. They’re coming through and being tested with other kids, so they don’t feel any stigma about it.
“Any of our health-based services where we can run them at school, work so much better. So, we are really, really, grateful.”
The Foundation does not receive any government funding and instead relies on donations.
“We rely on the generosity of private donors and funders,” says Natasha Gallardo. “That’s why we were so grateful for the grant from the ANZ Staff Foundation to help with our school hearing checks.”
“The donations are so important,” adds Agnes. “A lot of our whanau can’t afford to access the services that are out there. So, if we can identify hearing problems early and provide help, that is going to help those young people live much happier and more productive lives.”
Sina is proof of that.
“We are truly grateful for this programme” says Sina’s mother.
“If it wasn’t for the Foundation, Sina would have gone through her school years without being able to hear. That would have affected her education and her future.”
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