Supporting children with glue ear at school

If your child has hearing loss caused by glue ear, their school or early years provider can provide extra support. Learn about how you can make sure your child gets the support they need. 

Asking for extra support

Glue ear is a common childhood condition. It can make it more difficult for children to access everyday learning and opportunities. 

If your child frequently experiences glue ear or their glue ear lasts for longer than 3 months, make their school or childcare setting are aware. They can make reasonable adjustments to support your child. 

Even if your child has just one episode of glue ear, ask your child’s school or Early Years provider what they can do to make things easier for your child.

Here are some of the ways you can advocate to make sure your child’s school meets their needs. 

• Explain to your child’s early years provider, teacher or support staff that your child has hearing loss and needs extra help. Explain the sort of things your child cannot hear.
• If your child has glue ear which keeps coming back, tell their teacher about some of the signs of deafness. Ask them to let you know if they notice any changes in your child’s behaviour.
• If your child has been given hearing aids, check that your child’s teacher or early years providers know how to check if they are working and correctly placed.
• If your child is already deaf and develops glue ear, tell their teacher and any support staff that your child’s deafness may increase and fluctuate.
• Seek advice from your local authority’s specialist education service for deaf children, who employ Teachers of the Deaf (ToDs). Not all services provide direct support to children with temporary or mild hearing loss, but they should provide the school with guidance and information.
• Tell them about the National Deaf Children’s Society. We support children with all types of hearing loss, including glue ear, and have lots of information for professionals who work with deaf children.
• If you think you child’s speech is not developing as well as it should, ask for your child to be included in groups and programmes that could help. You could ask for a referral to speech and language therapy.
• If you think your child is struggling to follow instructions and understand what they’re being asked to do, talk to their teacher about how they can make it easier for your child to take part in lessons.
• Temporary hearing loss can impact a child’s behaviour. They may become more tired and frustrated, or struggle to concentrate. If you notice these changes in your child, ask your child’s school or early years provider to think about how they can make it easier for your child to access learning. For example, the setting could provide more visual information, make sure your child can hear and see the teacher, and build in rest breaks.
• If you think your child is missing out on everyday experiences and social opportunities, ask your child’s teacher to explain to classmates how to include your child. Share our deaf awareness videos for children in the early years.
• Explain the benefits of reducing background noise in the classroom as much as possible.
• Create a personal passport that summarises the important information about your child’s hearing so that the school can support your child in the best way possible.
• Share resources from Hear Glue Ear, including their glue ear passport and glue ear care plan.