Help Your Child Explore a World of Sounds With Pediatric Hearing Aids

Whether they’re in the classroom or playing outside with friends, your child will hear many sounds during the first few years of their life. However, children with pediatric hearing loss may not notice these noises. At Audiology Center of North Texas, LLC, we’re here to help with this. Hearing aids can turn the volume up on your child’s world and connect them with various sounds.

When Should I Have My Child Tested for Hearing Loss?

According to the CDC’s 2019 Hearing Screening and Follow-Up Survey, 1.7 per 1,000 babies screened were diagnosed with hearing loss. Additionally, the CDC found that between 1997 and 2005, 5 per 1,000 children ages 3-17 experienced hearing loss.

If your child doesn’t respond when spoken to, has frequent ear infections or has a family history of hearing loss, they should receive a hearing test.

There are also several academic indicators of potential hearing loss, including a delay in speech and language or poor performance in school.

It’s Important to Seek Treatment for Pediatric Hearing Loss Quickly

Especially before age three, children’s brains are developing rapidly. Sounds are an important part of this and help develop neurological pathways for speech, language and hearing. Research has indicated that many children who are congenitally deaf and receive treatment by age three-and-a-half have normal auditory pathways in the brain, whereas children who receive treatment after age seven typically have pathways that are not as strong.

Hearing Aids Can Also Help Children Build Connections With Others

Receiving treatment for childhood hearing loss also provides social-emotional benefits, including bonding with parents through hearing their voices, increased connections to friends and peers at school and better communication skills.

What Are the Parts of a Hearing Aid?

Hearing aids typically consist of

• A microphone that amplifies sound.
• A processor that analyzes sound.
• A speaker that delivers sound to the ears.
• A battery that powers the device.

How Do Pediatric Hearing Aids Differ from Models Made for Adults?

Hearing aids can be worn by children as young as several months old. To ensure that they work well for young wearers, pediatric hearing aids are typically sturdier to better withstand wear and tear. They have a tamper-resistant battery case and a light that indicates whether or not they’re properly working.

How Can I Make Wearing Hearing Aids Kid Friendly?

• Begin using the hearing aids in quieter environments and build up to using it in areas with more sound.
• Explain how the hearing aids will help them using age-appropriate concepts and vocabulary.
• Consider decorating the hearing aids.
• Engage in fun activities while your child is wearing their hearing aids.
• Secure the hearing aids in place by using medical tape, pinning them to your child’s shirt or with headbands or hats.

Your Family Isn’t in This Alone

Our providers at Audiology Center of North Texas, LLC will connect your child with the hearing loss treatment plan that will serve them best, whether that’s hearing aids or one of our other options like cochlear implants. As your child navigates school and extracurricular activities, hearing aids will help them fully engage with their environment. We can get them started on this journey at Audiology Center of North Texas, LLC.