Being able to hear helps you engage and interact with the world around you. Good hearing allows you to develop verbal language and comprehension skills, as well as enhances your ability to partake in and enjoy activities such as listening to music. Over 1.4 million children in the United States have some degree of hearing loss. Causes of childhood hearing loss can vary from birth defects and hereditary reasons, to medical issues such as frequent ear infections.
Depending on the degree and type of hearing loss a child has, hearing aids may be a valuable solution to help amplify sounds. A pediatric audiologist can help to determine if a hearing aid may be beneficial to a child, and if so, what type could be most appropriate.
The hearing aid journey is not a simple one and involves many detailed steps, but the result is giving a child the gift of sound, and, in turn, improved communication abilities and connection with the world around him.
Concern
As with many illnesses or issues, questions about hearing start with a parent or pediatrician growing concerned about a child’s development or behavior. several red flags for hearing loss are delayed speech, frequently needing people to repeat things, ignoring sounds, and asking for sounds to be louder. It is important to contact your pediatrician or a licensed audiologist for an evaluation if you are concerned about your child’s hearing. Early intervention is necessary.
Testing
A licensed pediatric audiologist will conduct a hearing test. There are several different types of hearing tests available. The type of test a child receives will likely be based on the child’s age and ability. Hearing tests are often extensive and provide the audiologist with valuable information that will be used to determine if there is a hearing loss, and if so, the type and degree of hearing loss.
Options
After the hearing tests are completed and all of the information has been gathered, the audiologist will discuss the results with the family, and if hearing loss was detected, he or she will present the options for hearing assistance. There are many choices for hearing assistance. If no improvement in the hearing loss is anticipated through medical or surgical means, the most common help is hearing aids. There are many types of hearing aids, from over the ear amplification, to magnetic bone conduction units. Once again, the best fit for a child will be based on several factors including age and type/degree of hearing loss detected, as well as the needs of the family. A certified pediatric audiologist has the knowledge and experience to help parents to make sure that a child gets the hearing assistance best suited for him or her.
Sources: Audiologist.org | ASHA.org | AudiologyAwareness.com
Early Identification of Hearing Loss in Children
Shandy Marso, Contributor
