What You Should Know about Children's Hearing Aids

It is estimated that more than 1 million children in thechildren. These include traditional analog models, digital
U.S. have some form of hearing loss. Even if hearinghearing aids, programmable, behind the ear and
loss is not very severe, this impairment in children cancompletely in the ear canal models. Each type of
have a profound affect on their educations. Somechildren's hearing aids has different features and
children with hearing impairments may be mistaken tobenefits. For example, programmable hearing aids are
have learning disabilities, or assumed to be defiant orprogrammed to adjust with your child's environment.
downright stubborn. Even with more and moreAn audiologist is the only professional with the ability
hospitals screening newborns for hearing loss, still slipto determine which will best suit your child's needs.
through the cracks. Parents may not even be awareParents of children with hearing loss report
of a slight loss of hearing until other problemsoutstanding results from the use of hearing aids.
develop.Some parents claim that prior to getting the child
Fortunately, for both parents and children, manyhearing aid, the child was rather unresponsive and
models of child hearing aids are available tooften crabby. When they begin using the hearing aid,
consumers. The first step is to have your childthe child behaved differently. Most children become
evaluated by an audiologist. This specialist canmore confident in their abilities and become more
determine the level of hearing loss in the child andsocial. Children with hearing loss often feel isolated
recommend solutions and aids to help them. Childrenand different from their peers. Providing them with
as young as a week old have been reported to havethe opportunity to hear the sounds around them can
received hearing aids.make a world of difference in their self-confidence.
The same models offered for adults are available for