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Suggestions
for Keeping Hearing Aids on Infants and Toddlers
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Engage
the child in play and speak in a soothing voice while putting
hearing aids on to distract the child. It is important to
monitor the activities of a child old enough to have the dexterity
to remove haring aids and the interest to put things in his/her
mouth.
-
Purchase
a “Huggie Catcher” which has thick bands around the hearing
aid and a plastic ring which goes around the ear to help hold
hearing aids in place. This device also has a plastic cord
which attaches the hearing aids to the back of the child’s
clothing so the hearing aids will not get lost if a child
succeeds in removing them.
-
Often
young children will fuss when first using hearing aids. Things
that were previously silent suddenly are making sound. If
there seems to be genuine pain when putting the hearing aids
in, check with your audiologist to be sure the earmolds are
fitting properly. Your child should be wearing their hearing
aids for at least an hour prior to the visit to the audiologist
so the audiologist can check your child’s ears for red spots.
If your child cries when moderately loud sounds are present,
be sure to tell your audiologist so they can adjust the hearing
aids if needed.
-
Start
out using the hearing aids for short periods of time (15-30
minutes) several times a day while playing sound games your
child can hear.
-
Have
patience with yourself and your child. This can be a very
stressful time as you both become adjusted to the diagnosis,
the hearing aids and how your lives will change. However,
know that what you are trying to do by giving your child sound
awareness is critical. The earlier your child receives consistent
amplification, the more your child will be successful in understanding
environmental sounds and using speech. If the above suggestions
are not enough, consider contacting a rehabilitative audiologist
for therapy to help your child use hearing aids consistently
and learn to interpret sounds around his/her environment.
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