At what degree of hearing loss may a child miss up to 10% of speech?

The correct choice is minimal (slight) hearing loss because it is defined as a degree of hearing loss that ranges from 16 to 25 dB. At this level, children can struggle with certain speech sounds, particularly softer ones, leading to missed auditory information. Research indicates that with minimal hearing loss, a child may miss about 10% of speech that occurs in a typical listening environment, which can impact language acquisition, academic performance, and social interactions.

While normal hearing indicates no loss, and mild hearing loss (26 to 40 dB) can result in missed sounds, it is at the minimal level where the missed speech intelligibility becomes noticeable without necessarily qualifying as a moderate or more severe loss. Moderate hearing loss typically involves a higher percentage of missed speech, making minimal the most precise option for a 10% speech loss.