Basically, there are 3 clinical types of this condition: type 1, type 2, and type 3. According to data, types 1 and 2 are the most prevalent types in the United States. Both of them are responsible for approximately 90-95 percent of cases of children having Usher syndrome.

Type 1

Profound deafness during birth and severe balance problems are the main symptoms of Type 1 Usher Syndrome. Most kids with this condition have little or no benefit at all from hearing aides. As early as possible, you should consult your doctor or audiologist if your child has this type of Usher Syndrome, so that you can find other communication methods for your child.

You should seek intervention early, so that your child can optimize the unique period of time in which their brain is most open and receptive to learning language, whether it be signed or spoken. If your child is diagnosed with this condition early on, before he or she even loses his or her ability to see, then your child would likely benefit from the intervention strategies that can aide him or her with activities of daily living.

Type 2

Kids with Type 2 Usher syndrome usually have moderate to severe hearing loss. The good thing is that they have normal balance. Due to the varied severity of hearing loss, most of these kids can benefit from using hearing aids. They are also able to communicate orally. Their visual problems also progress slower than in type 1.

Type 3

Children with this type of Usher syndrome do not have hearing loss at birth. Most of them have normal to near-normal balance skills, but some can develop balance problems later in life. Their sight and hearing also worsen over time. The thing is, the rate in which they worsen could vary from one person to another, even if they belong in the same family.

A person with this kind of Usher syndrome can develop hearing loss by adolescence. Then, he or she would have to use hearing aids only by reaching the age of mid- to late adulthood. In this type, night blindness typically starts at some point in puberty. Blind spots can appear by during the late teens up to early adulthood. When you reach mid-adulthood, you can be diagnosed as legally blind.

Most of the time, parents who have normal vision and hearing are not aware if they are carriers of a mutated gene for Usher syndrome.