Helping A Child Adjust To A Hearing Aid: Tips For Parents
If your child has hearing impairment, you may be able to find different resources for treatment, including wearing a hearing aid. These aids can be helpful for your child to learn better speech and to more fully participate in the classroom at school. Some children can find that wearing a hearing aid takes some adjustment. Here is what you can do as a parent to help your child get used to wearing and caring for the device.
Get the Right Fit
Finding a hearing aid that fits well is your first task. It's best to try out a few styles before you find one that really works for your child. Your audiologist can help you choose from the different types of hearing aids until your child finds one that feels the most natural. If your child avoids wearing a hearing aid, it's best to check the fit first, because children naturally want to avoid discomfort.
Plan the Exposure
A new hearing device can often mean your child is hearing things now that they never heard before. Sometimes this can be a frightening experience, or it can cause overload. It's best to introduce new places and sounds gradually as your child begins wearing the hearing aid. Stay at home for a day to help your child get used to the sounds of the house. Keep the volume low at first and then gradually turn it up to get you child's body used to experience of hearing new and loud sounds. Avoid loud places like the subway station or the zoo until your child has had several days to adjust to the new device.
Make Sure Your Child Has Breaks
Going from no hearing aid to having one in all the time can be a huge change. Many children may feel tired or overwhelmed after a few hours of hearing sounds through the listening device. This is perfectly normal, and you should allow your child to have breaks. Try to encourage your child to wear the hearing aid, especially at important times (going to school, meeting with loved ones), but allowing time for decompression can help with the mental and physical adjustment to hearing all the time.
Write Down Experiences
As you and your child experience this new avenue for hearing, you'll have good days and bad days, and you'll both have questions. Write down your concerns so you can talk with the audiologists about them at your next appointment.
For more tips, talk to a hearing aid specialist at facilities like the Whisper Hearing Centers.
