Hearing aids are the most effective and common treatment option for most types of hearing loss. Since children’s language and social skills have not fully developed, getting the highest quality of sound delivered to your child’s ear is a top priority.
Pediatric Hearing Loss
Immediate treatment of pediatric hearing loss is vital to developmental, learning and behavioral abilities. Hearing aid options will be based on the type, severity and frequency location of your child’s hearing loss. A pediatric audiologist will offer treatment guidelines after learning about your child’s medical history and doing a complete hearing assessment.
Hearing Aid Styles
There are several styles of hearing aids for adults, but children are typically fitted with Behind The Ear (BTE) style of hearing aids. BTE hearing aids have a casing that sits behind the ear and houses all the electronics. This piece then attaches over the top of the ear by wire to a speaker, which sits in the ear canal.
These hearing aids are the most powerful and effective for relaying consistent sound. Due to their reliability and power, they are considered the best option for children whose language skills development is a higher priority than cosmetic concerns.
In some cases, especially in older children whose language is mostly developed, a pediatric audiologist may suggest other models of hearing aids for your child. While these hearing aids may not be as effective, they are appealing due to their cosmetics and comfort. Smaller, sleeker styles include: In The Ear (ITE), In The Canal (ITC), Completely In the Canal (CIC) and Receiver In the Canal (RIC) hearing aids.
Hearing Aid Accessories
Along with your child’s hearing aids, there are a number of important accessories that can improve language and learning. Children and adults alike commonly use classroom-specific hearing aid accessories, as classes and lecture halls prove to be some of the hardest places to focus for those with hearing loss.
For older children who understand their hearing loss, wireless remote control accessories and apps allow for precise hearing aid adjustments without having to touch the tiny and delicate controls on the hearing devices themselves. Other similar accessories can allow your child to wirelessly connect directly to important equipment like televisions, cell phones, computers and MP3 players. Accessories can help patients relate more easily to their peers and family members.
Call Southwest Idaho ENT at (208) 336-4368 for more information or to schedule an appointment.