How Speech Pathology is opening doors for children with hearing loss

From left to right: Alec, Harper and Oakley

This Speech Pathology Week, Perth Children's Hospital (PCH) is celebrating the extraordinary impact communication can have on a child's life.

The 2026 theme, "Communication Creates Possibility," reflects what speech pathologists witness every day. When communication needs are supported, children have greater opportunities to connect with others, learn, make choices, participate in their communities and thrive.

For children experiencing hearing loss, speech pathology plays a fundamental role in helping them access, understand and use communication. Through cochlear implant habilitation, PCH speech pathologists work alongside children and their families to create pathways to better hearing, listening and communication.

Three young patients, Alec, Harper and Oakley, demonstrate just how life-changing that support can be.

Rebuilding communication after sudden hearing loss

At just seven years old, Alec's life changed dramatically when he became critically unwell with invasive pneumococcal disease in November 2024.

While Alec recovered from the illness, it left him with profound hearing loss in both ears. For six months, he had no access to sound, significantly affecting his ability to communicate, participate in everyday activities and connect with the people around him.

During this challenging period, Alec and his family worked closely with PCH's Cochlear Implant Habilitation Program (CHIP) team, including speech pathologists, to maintain communication while he awaited cochlear implant surgery.

Alec underwent his first cochlear implant surgery in March 2025 and his second in November 2025. Since then, he has attended regular speech pathology and audiology appointments to help his brain learn to interpret and make sense of sound again.

Today, Alec's speech and language skills are developing age-appropriately, he no longer relies on alternative communication supports and he is thriving with access to spoken language.

Communications and hearing support helped Alec regain confidence, reconnect with friends and family, and continue learning and participating in the activities he loves.

Creating opportunities through early intervention

Three-year-old Harper's hearing loss was first identified through her newborn hearing screening. She was later diagnosed with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (EVAS) associated with Pendred syndrome, a progressive condition that affects hearing and can also impact balance.

Before receiving her first cochlear implant, Harper faced significant challenges accessing sound and developing communication skills. Due to the progression of her hearing loss and difficulties consistently wearing her hearing devices, she experienced language delay.

Supported by her parents and PCH speech pathologists, Harper gradually increased her hearing device use from only a few hours each day to wearing them throughout all waking hours.
Harper received her first cochlear implant in August 2024 and, following further progression of her hearing loss, a second cochlear implant in March 2026.

Through regular speech pathology sessions focused on listening, speech and language development, Harper has made significant progress. Her communication skills continue to grow, her interactions with her family are increasingly positive and engaging, and her social communication skills have flourished.

Building strong hearing foundations for the future

At just 22 months old, Oakley is already achieving remarkable milestones.

Oakley has bilateral hearing loss caused by congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV). He wears a hearing aid in his right ear and received a cochlear implant in his left ear in January 2026.

Since then, he has been working closely with the PCH Speech Pathology team through intensive habilitation, learning to listen through his cochlear implant and helping his brain make sense of new sounds.

For young children like Oakley, early support can provide the foundations for future communication, learning and social development.

His progress reflects the importance of early intervention and the difference specialised speech pathology support can make during the critical early years of life.

Supporting children to thrive

The stories of Alec, Harper and Oakley are unique, but they share a common thread: when communication is supported, possibilities grow.

Whether helping a child communicate during a sudden loss of hearing, supporting language development after cochlear implant surgery, or building listening skills from infancy, speech pathologists play a critical role in helping children participate fully in life.

This Speech Pathology Week, PCH celebrates the children, families and clinicians who work together every day to create possibility through communication.