Approximately five in 1,000 children aged 3-17 have hearing loss. Hearing aids are the most common treatment path for adults and children, but your audiologist may recommend different hearing aids for your child than they would for an adult with hearing loss. There are two primary considerations for this recommendation:
- Language development
- Ease of use
Let’s look at these considerations to help you understand your child’s hearing aid options.
Language Development
Children are still developing their language and communication skills, making it more important that their hearing aids are equipped to provide speech clarity. Their provider will likely recommend hearing aids with background noise suppression and Bluetooth® or telecoil capabilities. Noise suppression will help your child focus on speech within noisy environments like the playground at Ocee Park or their school lunchroom. Bluetooth or telecoil capabilities will allow your child to connect to other assistive listening systems and smart devices—such as those present in classrooms, movie theaters and concert halls.
In addition to finding a device with noise suppression, Bluetooth and telecoil, your provider will likely recommend behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids. BTE hearing aids house their electronics in a casing behind the ear. A wire or tube runs from the back of the ear to the ear canal. In the ear canal is a speaker. Because BTE hearing aids are larger, they are the most powerful and effective at collecting and transmitting sound, allowing for clearer communication and better language skills development.
Their provider may recommend sleeker in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) devices for older children with more developed language skills.
Ease of Use
In addition to providing clearer sound quality, BTE devices are generally considered easier for children to use. The devices are larger and easier to put in than their smaller counterparts, which many children may have difficulty using correctly.
The first three years of life are the most intensive for acquiring speech and language skills. Because the brain is best able to absorb and cement language in these earlier years, proper hearing healthcare is essential for young children.
Contact Advanced Hearing today to schedule an appointment with one of our trusted pediatric specialists to set your child on the right hearing path.