When Your Child Has Hearing Loss Posted By : Michael Newman

When there’s a diagnosis of a medical problem with a child, it’s often more upsetting and devastating for the parent than for the kid. Moms and dads wonder if they caused the problem, worry about what kind of impact it will have on their child’s life, and just feel generally vulnerable. However, if you’re son or daughter has been diagnosed with a permanent or persistent hearing problem, it is almost always treatable.



The statistics vary, but it is estimated that anywhere from five to fifteen percent of all children have some degree of hearing loss. While heredity or complications during childbirth may be the cause, there can also be environmental causes. Infections can lead to deafness, as can loud music and piercing noises. Head injuries and Meniere’s disease are sometimes implicated. Whatever the origin is, parents are usually the first to notice the problem. Infants may not respond to sounds or they may have delayed speech. With school-age children, parents may notice that their child has to crank up the volume on the television, or the child may complain about ear pain.



Teachers and classrooms are more accommodating than ever before to problems like hearing loss. Virtually every teacher is used to making accommodations and modifications for academic and medical problems, whether it’s for ADD, peanut allergies, or hearing impairments. Because kids with hearing loss can miss up to fifty percent of what’s happening in class, it’s imperative to treat as soon as possible. More than one-third of all children with mild hearing problems fail at least one grade, according to a study performed in 1998 by Bess et al.



Some teachers use an assistive learning device, which sends electronically enhanced sounds to the child’s receiver. Other teachers use an FM sound amplifier. There are two types of FM systems that the teacher can use: a personal FM system or a free-field system. With the personal FM system, the student must wear a receiver and headphone set. With the free-field system, several speakers are placed around the room, and the teacher uses a microphone to amplify his or her voice above the room noise.



Along with hearing equipment, your child will benefit from rehabilitative therapy, such as speech therapy and social integration therapy. Early intervention has been shown to be the key to a successful outcome. Depending upon the severity of your child’s hearing loss and how much hearing remains, he or she may benefit from a long-term treatment plan that addresses how to best function in day-to-day activities. Generally an audiologist is responsible for making treatment plans for the hearing impaired.



Your child may need either a cochlear implant or hearing aid; an audiologist and ENT physician will determine which is preferable. Even infants as young as three months can wear a hearing device. Because a child’s ear is always growing, an inside-the-canal design is not ideal. However, the behind-the-ear models will grow with your child and are more comfortable than ever before. The behind-the-ear style is compatible with classroom amplification systems, which is a true advantage.

Miracle Ear hearing aids offer you with the ability to hear clearly again. Whether you're conversing with an old friend, at the movies or just watching television with family at home, Miracle Ear hearing aids ensures you can hear everything clearly.