What should I know about hearing aids?

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JadeSkye

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Today we finally got some answers about our 3 year old's hearing loss. She has a definite hearing loss that begins around 40db at the lowest hz and drops to about 70-80db in the highest hz. The audiologist said that they will be fitting her for hearing aids and so I was just wondering if anyone had some "need to knows" about hearing aids that might help me :). I know nothing about them really and I just want to make sure that I know a bit more about them before we start fitting her for them and ordering and so forth. What brands/types would you suggest for a three year old? Do you have any tips on how to get a three year old use to wearing them (not sure how she will react to them as she hates earphones at this moment)?
 
Make them be cool colors..let her pick the color and colored ear molds and decorate them so she'll want to wear them.

Only your audi can tell you what brand they recommend. She'll be getting a Behind the ear aid and molds will need to be made periodically for her growing ears. The audi should also tell you that she'll need to get used to them so wear them for a few hours each day and keep working up to wearing them longer. Nothings worse than trying to tough it out with all those new sounds and getting used to ha's especially for a toddler.
 
I had definitely thought about letting her pick her colors :). I think if you have a hand in the choice of something, then you will be more likely to enjoy it :). And I don't plan on forcing the aids on her for long periods of time- I'm mostly concerned that she won't even want to try them at first and that will be a fight to even get her to try them. This is definitely going to be a great learning experience :)!
 
If she's fascinated by them she may be more apt to wear them! I love color and I'm older ..it's all about not being boring. Some people like beige but I think for kids its important for them to make a statement just like a kid would with glasses they choose. You can put her fave stickers on them too and change them ..stickers usually come off easily. Or beads on the tubing. Google hearing aid tube riders those are also cool for kids :)
 
First, well fit hearing aids will make a world of difference for your daughter and your family.
I would definitely consider inquiring about an FM system. FM systems allow your child to hear your voice without external noise and is really useful in noisy situations. Her hearing aids can be programmed to receive both the FM signal and ambient sound so that she is aware of sounds around her.

I'm an adult (just turned 27) an I use FM when my fiancé and I are out in busy places or having a romantic dinner (if I don't feel like hearing, it is ok, he knows sign!).

Definitely check out decorations for hearing aids. Eargear is great for kids because they come in colors and have retention bands to keep hearing aids from being lost.
When your daughter gets older, you can look into nail foils.
I have used these to make my hearing aids awesome (My freaking awesome decorated hearing aid. | Flickr - Photo Sharing!) and (Snow | Flickr - Photo Sharing!).
Just know that you should never use any nail decorations that need nail polish remover to get off the hearing aids. Stickers are fine. "Wraps" like from Jamberry nails are fine. But Sally Hensen nail polish strips are not ok to use.
 
FM systems are good for hearing in noise. I use mine when shopping with my sister. It's great. Only time I don't like it, is when other people are speaking and only one person is wearing the transmitter as it means I can't catch what the other people are saying.

I find my FM a lot more helpful now I'm at work (I'm in my 20s) instead of at school. I personally hated it at school but that is just me tho.

With where technology is going, hearing aid colors are great I believe.
 
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I would definately get a retention strap of some kind -- eargear comes with them, some other places might. I can barely keep track of mine sometimes, I can't imagine trying to keep a toddler from leaving them inside a shoe or the toilet.
 
There are many brands to choose from. Your daughter is too young to give you accurate feedback, but we usually try a few out to see which one sounds the best.

I would get replacement insurance, especially if she is very active.
 
lovezebras said:
If she's fascinated by them she may be more apt to wear them! I love color and I'm older ..it's all about not being boring. Some people like beige but I think for kids its important for them to make a statement just like a kid would with glasses they choose. You can put her fave stickers on them too and change them ..stickers usually come off easily. Or beads on the tubing. Google hearing aid tube riders those are also cool for kids :)
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It was thanks to kids that we adults now have colors to choose from. :ty: kids!
 
One of the biggest things is to be aware that while hearing aids do help give her access to sounds, they don't "correct" hearing loss like glasses do (if you put on glasses, often you see 20/20 ... it's not like that with hearing aids)

Also, along with speech - I'd really strongly recommend having early intervention etc have someone teach her/you/the family ASL. It is a HUGE help, and does not "negatively impact" spoken language at all... in fact in many cases it actually assists spoken language (which is way "baby signing" is so popular in hearing groups).

Although I speak & listen/speechread most of the time - in educational settings, conferences, and other noisy environments I use ASL and ASL/English interpreters because I need to make sure I'm getting correct information.

For me having ASL in addition to English has truly opened doors :)
 
Anij said:
One of the biggest things is to be aware that while hearing aids do help give her access to sounds, they don't "correct" hearing loss like glasses do[...]

Also, along with speech - I'd really strongly recommend having early intervention etc have someone teach her/you/the family ASL. [...]

For me having ASL in addition to English has truly opened doors :)
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I have heard many times on here that hearing aids don't "correct" it like glasses do for eyesight. What I understand of that is that it is really just amplifying the sound (like turning up the volume on something). Is that correct? Is there anywhere online that I can find a "simulation" of what things would sound like with hearing aids (I know they have simulations of what different degrees of hearing loss sound like so thought maybe someone knew where a hearing aid simulation might be found)? I really want to have a good understanding of how this works before going back to the audiologist/ENT.

I started online ASL classes last month through our state's Deaf and Blind school (before we even had answers) because I definitely wanted to have a way to communicate with her and I figure earlier learning is better. I am actually considering sending her to the Deaf school (although I have already had people say she doesn't need to go because her loss isn't "bad", she isn't "deaf", etc. and she should do fine in a regular school). I really think that ASL is something that can only help her and there are still going to be times when she is not going to be able to hear well (baths, nighttime, if an aid breaks, etc.).
 
Since HA's are adjusted to optimal or best possible, everyone who wears HA's hears differently.
 
there's alot of brands to choose from but for me, I'm an Oticon nuts now after I got my 3rd pair 2 years ago *last pair wasn't even enough for me so I decided on a hearing aid based on the strength, reliability, and of course looks *I went with the sci-fi future looking aid like the one in my pro pic lol*
 
I would definitely consider inquiring about an FM system. FM systems allow your child to hear your voice without external noise and is really useful in noisy situations.
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I think an FM system is hit or miss. It is NOT a "gotta have" I know a former poster who was very experienced in accomondatons for dhh kids. She said that none of her dhh as kids students opted for FM. Only one found the FM super useful.
Besides, why would she need an FM when she has speechreading, ASL etc? Besides, FMs are EXPENSIVE!
 
Lukin said:
Pick analog over digital.
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Digital will be A LOT better. Even more so as she is HoH.

Analog is only better for people who have grown up with analogs and find it difficult to make the change!

Hearing in noise will be a lot better with digitalis, analogs will just amplify everything!
 
NaidaUP said:
Digital will be A LOT better. Even more so as she is HoH.

Analog is only better for people who have grown up with analogs and find it difficult to make the change!

Hearing in noise will be a lot better with digitalis, analogs will just amplify everything!
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I think you have to experiment. Some people like analogs, some people like digitals.
 
deafdyke said:
I think an FM system is hit or miss. It is NOT a "gotta have" I know a former poster who was very experienced in accomondatons for dhh kids. She said that none of her dhh as kids students opted for FM. Only one found the FM super useful.
Besides, why would she need an FM when she has speechreading, ASL etc? Besides, FMs are EXPENSIVE!
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FM's are expensive for the school district- not the family. The school district provides (and pays for) supplementary aids and services such as the FM.
 
deafdyke said:
I think you have to experiment. Some people like analogs, some people like digitals.
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the child is a toddler though so she won't really have the know how to "experiment" since she's too young. She won't be like well this sounds too tinny, and this sounds too bassy...lol so digitals will be a go to for an audi to give a child, not an analogue.
 
lovezebras said:
the child is a toddler though so she won't really have the know how to "experiment" since she's too young. She won't be like well this sounds too tinny, and this sounds too bassy...lol so digitals will be a go to for an audi to give a child, not an analogue.
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And no one sells analogs anymore or as least very few do.

I hated analogs, my ear drums used to vibrate, now they don't with digitalis :)
 
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