Managing Hearing Loss in Children

There are different options to help manage your child's hearing loss. You will work with your child's doctor to find the best treatment for your child. A team of trained specialists will also help you and your child deal with challenges that may come up.

Your child's care team will include some or all of these key members:

• Audiologist. A specialist who tests for and identifies hearing problems. They also help find solutions for hearing loss, such as hearing aids and other devices.
• Otolaryngologist or otologist. A doctor who diagnoses and treats possible problems of the ear.
• Speech/language pathologist. A professional who identifies and treats speech or language disorders that may accompany hearing loss.
• Educator. A teacher of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Psychologist or social worker. A specialist who helps your child and family cope with emotional, educational, social, and financial issues that may arise due to the child's hearing loss.
• Genetic specialist. A doctor who works with families on genetic issues, including inherited hearing problems.

These hearing devices may help your child:

• Hearing aids. These are electronic devices that help make sound louder.
• Cochlear implants. These are surgically placed devices that help children with severe or profound hearing loss.
• Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids. These are permanently implanted in the skull. They work by picking up sound vibrations.

During speech therapy, the speech pathologist will likely:

• Diagnose communication problems your child may have.
• Educate you, your child, and your family about the child's communication skills.
• Teach you, your child, and your family ways to help improve your child's speech and language skills.

Depending how much hearing loss your child has, they may communicate using:

• Oral communication (speech and lip reading).
• Manual communication (sign language).
• Total communication. This is a combination of both oral and manual communication.

There are many types of assistive listening devices (ALDs). For example, Frequency Modulation (FM) systems are one type of ALD. These need a person speaking, such as a teacher, to wear a microphone. The speaker's voice is then carried to the child's hearing aids, cochlear implant, or earphones. FM systems reduce background noise. They are often used in classrooms to help children with hearing loss hear their teachers. Other ALDs include:

• Infrared systems used with the television.
• Text messaging.
• Flashing and vibrating alarms.
• Telephones that make sounds louder.

Talk with your child's doctor for more information about ALDs.

There are some important steps you can take to help you cope with and manage your child's hearing loss:

• Join a support group. Support groups give you the chance to talk with other parents who have children with hearing loss.
• Talk with your child face-to-face.
• Give your child sound stimulation, such as music.
• Give your child language stimulation, such as reading while facing them.
• Be aware of the effect of sound in your home. For example, having drapes on windows and carpets on floors can cut down on echoing. Echoes make speech harder to understand.
• Most important, treat and discipline your child as you would a child with normal hearing.