Adults dealing with hearing loss already find the situation difficult so you can imagine the gigantic hurdles that it takes for a child to adjust to life wearing hearing aids. It requires time and a lot of patience to help your child get used to wearing hearing aids and to get accustomed to how they work.

Make Sure the Hearing Aids Fit Properly

Perhaps the very first step is to make sure that the hearing aids fit in well. There is nothing worse for a child with hearing loss than walking around with a painful pair of hearing aids that don’t fit in right. Take time with the ear-molds and test if they comfortably fit in or behind the child’s ears.

Remember that the ear-molds might fit in too tightly at first and will sooner or later adjust as the child continues to wear them. A lubricant may be required at first to make it easier to fit in. Also take some time with the specialist to learn how the ear-molds are properly placed or removed.

Build Up Their Sound Library

Some specialists like to use the term “sound library” and this is basically a progressive build-up to the level of background noise and accumulation of focused sounds a child with hearing aids can handle. Don’t immediately push your child into a busy crowd and expect to handle everything they hear.

Instead, start in a very quiet room so they can first get used to the aids they are wearing. This will also allow them to understand how adjustments are made so they can focus on one or two particular sounds.

In a quiet room your child can learn to test whether the hearing aids are working on not since all they have to do is focus on their parent’s voice.

Once they’ve gotten accustomed to just one or two sounds, try immersing them into slightly busier environments. Work your way up slowly, giving time and space for the child to adapt to the changing auditory scenery.

Patience is a Virtue

Remember that most children aren’t comfortable wearing hearing aids all day. Take it slowly. Reward them for wearing their hearing devices for long periods of time.

Adjustments are done incrementally. If the ear-molds keep falling off, if your child doesn’t grasp how adjustments are made, or if you have any other concerns and questions then make it a point to list them down. You’ll want to notify your child’s hearing specialist about everything, even about the smallest concerns.

Take time and soon your child will be able to deal with their hearing aids on their own. Many children who started wearing aids at an early age grow so accustomed they often forget they have them in the first place.

For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid prescription, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.

Source:

HK Hearing & Speech Centre

Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,

and Hearing Aid Prescription

https://www.hkhearingspeech.com

Unlike fully grown adults, children have different needs when it comes to choosing their hearing aids. Since children will most likely not fully understand their diagnosis and the complicated tasks in choosing the right hearing aid, it is up to the parents to ensure that their kid leaves the clinic with the right tools.

First of all, parents might want to make sure they avail of hearing aids that utilize adjustable ear-molds. This will allow the specialist to adjust the size and shape of the hearing aid without the need to purchase an entirely new set of hearing devices. This is important because a child’s ears are constantly growing as they get older.

Always make it a point to choose hearing aids with assistive hearing settings such as an FM system. This type of setting will help the child block out background noise and will let their ears focus on a particular, intended sound. This becomes helpful when they are in noisy environments.

A child with these types of assistive hearing tools will be able to block out the background noise in a classroom so they can fully receive the sounds of their teachers lecturing. It also helps a child with hearing loss identify a particular sound when they are immersed in large crowds where everyone is talking at once.

If the child is a little bit older then they may also want to avail of some hearing aids accessories such as gaming devices, smart phones, or tablets that feature apps capable of helping them get the most out of their hearing devices. Some apps allow children to adjust the volume or intensity of their aids with a simple tap or swipe.

These accessories are crucial because they can help a child adjust to different environments. One general setting might be fine when talking one-on-one with another person but it might not be optimal when in a busy classroom or when in a crowd filled with all sorts of background noise.

Also take a moment to decide whether your child needs an in-the-ear device (ITE) or a hearing aid located behind the ear (BTE). For the most part, younger children use behind-the-ear devices while older kids use those in the ear due to the convenience and because the device is harder for other people to notice. Newer hearing aids are even compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Remember that choosing a pair of hearing aids for children is not as easy as it is for an adult, especially when a child requires hearing aids prescription at an early age. Most children wearing hearing aids early in their life find it difficult to differentiate what is and what isn’t the proper auditory range.

For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.

Source:

HK Hearing & Speech Centre

Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,

and Hearing Aid Prescription

https://www.hkhearingspeech.com

Many parents ponder whether they should let their kids start wearing hearings aids early, during the first signs of mild hearing loss or hearing difficulty, or if they should wait. The argument that hearing aids in mild loss cases makes a child dependent on the device is losing because of new studies that point out children with hearing aids actually develop better speech and language skills.

Basic Details of the Study

The study showed that kids wearing hearing aids early were more likely to develop better skills in speech and language. The results showed that the improvements become more noticeable and more significant if the child wears the hearing aid longer.

This is why the best case scenario involved kids who have worn their hearing aids since they were toddlers.

All of this comes from a recent study conducted at the Center for Childhood Deafness, located at the Boys Town National Research Hospital (Omaha, Nebraska). The study surveyed the speech skills of 180 3-year old and 5-year old patients with hearing loss conditions.

The patients were all evaluated according to their speech skills, articulation, and language comprehension. Scores improved when the researchers reached the children that have worn their hearing aids since they were toddlers.

Implications of the Study

It is also important to note that hearing aids that gave the most amplification and simulation of regular hearing were the ones that gave the most benefits. When the hearing aids were toned down, children in the study were not as keen on grasping new words because they could not properly hear how the words were pronounced and articulated.

A child’s capability to hear greatly affects how they form words in their mouths, how they move their tongue, and how they perceive the pronunciation of certain words.

This is all partly due to the fact that language and communication are crucial parts for a young child’s development. Not only is their IQ affected but also affected is their EQ (emotional quotient) and their capability to learn.

It Is Never Too Early or Too Late

Researchers also pointed out that it is not too late for kids to “catch up”. If you’re a parent with a child suffering from very mild hearing loss and never had to wear hearing aids you can still benefit from the technology if you go to a specialist today.

If your child is starting to experience hearing loss then don’t wait for the condition to get worse. Getting a hearing aids prescription early will help your child adjust as well as maintain their ongoing capability to learn and speak properly. Hearing aids are helpful for those with serious conditions but the new study does prove that it is never too early to give these devices a try.

If you think your kids needs a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.

Source:

HK Hearing & Speech Centre

Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,

and Hearing Aid Prescription

https://www.hkhearingspeech.com