Anyone have a child with a hearing aid?

[Anonymous]

My two year old is about to get his first hearing aid (unilateral). He still has to go to the ENT but has been approved by the audiologist so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting one and anything that should be considered when deciding the type of hearing aid.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has 2 hearing aids and got them at 2 years old. We've been to 2 different audiologists and they did them differently. One did a foam version -- think shaving cream -- squirted into her ears to make the mold. I've heard some kids really don't like that at all, but she was fine. Another one used a putty-ish material that was really soft, but solidified in the ear. My daughter was also fine with that.

In terms of what type of hearing aid, for my daughter's loss and age, they recommended the least expensive type. She didn't need volume control (b/c she was 2) and her loss wasn't that bad. So - they recommended one and we agreed. We didn't really have a decision to make there. EXCEPT, what color to pick (pink, of course) and what color mold (pink, swirly, sparkly).

So - my 2 cents is if your kid has sensory issues, you may want to be prepared for the mold fitting in the ears, but if they are OK with that, you should be fine. And, my daughter loved that she got to pick the colors. Plus, hers came with stickers, so she can put new stickers on the sides whenever she wants. Make sure to ask if they have those b/c one time they didn't offer them, but had them when I asked.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My son has unilateral hearing loss. We were told that HA is not a good option when he was born. But I insisted to give it a try when he was4.5 and it took his hearing loss from sever to mild. I only regret not doing it sooner. He is like a different kid now. Find an audiologist that have experience with kids. We got behind the ear one and we were told that phonak brand is the best for kids. We had this for 6 months and we are happy with it. Also keep in mind that the child might need adjustment period and hearing new things for the first time. My kid is older so I got him books about other kids with HA so he doesn't feel he us different. I also make sure to go to events were there are other kids with HAs as much as possible. He asked me from before why he is the only kid with it. Something to keep in mind when you're become more aware of it. Keep a positive attitude about it and aim that your kid get to the point where its on all time expect for her time of course. Good luck! It is do worth it.

[Anonymous]

Also make sure to get one with child proof battery door. I use HA gear with some tape to make sure it doesn't slip out. Then in addition to the clip I use safety pin attached to the shirt. My kid is active so I also use medical tape so it doesn't fall. It stays on all day long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has 2 hearing aids and got them at 2 years old. We've been to 2 different audiologists and they did them differently. One did a foam version -- think shaving cream -- squirted into her ears to make the mold. I've heard some kids really don't like that at all, but she was fine. Another one used a putty-ish material that was really soft, but solidified in the ear. My daughter was also fine with that.

In terms of what type of hearing aid, for my daughter's loss and age, they recommended the least expensive type. She didn't need volume control (b/c she was 2) and her loss wasn't that bad. So - they recommended one and we agreed. We didn't really have a decision to make there. EXCEPT, what color to pick (pink, of course) and what color mold (pink, swirly, sparkly).

So - my 2 cents is if your kid has sensory issues, you may want to be prepared for the mold fitting in the ears, but if they are OK with that, you should be fine. And, my daughter loved that she got to pick the colors. Plus, hers came with stickers, so she can put new stickers on the sides whenever she wants. Make sure to ask if they have those b/c one time they didn't offer them, but had them when I asked.

Good luck!

Thanks! He doesn’t have a complete ear canal so he will be getting a different hearing aid. I’ll ask about stickers though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son has unilateral hearing loss. We were told that HA is not a good option when he was born. But I insisted to give it a try when he was4.5 and it took his hearing loss from sever to mild. I only regret not doing it sooner. He is like a different kid now. Find an audiologist that have experience with kids. We got behind the ear one and we were told that phonak brand is the best for kids. We had this for 6 months and we are happy with it. Also keep in mind that the child might need adjustment period and hearing new things for the first time. My kid is older so I got him books about other kids with HA so he doesn't feel he us different. I also make sure to go to events were there are other kids with HAs as much as possible. He asked me from before why he is the only kid with it. Something to keep in mind when you're become more aware of it. Keep a positive attitude about it and aim that your kid get to the point where its on all time expect for her time of course. Good luck! It is do worth it.

Thanks! This is a good point. Any books you recommend? I will have to ask about hearing communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also make sure to get one with child proof battery door. I use HA gear with some tape to make sure it doesn't slip out. Then in addition to the clip I use safety pin attached to the shirt. My kid is active so I also use medical tape so it doesn't fall. It stays on all day long.

Good point! I have heard others have concerns with this as well. I will be sure to ask about it.

[Anonymous]

Are you getting the Baha band? If so we got this first but didn't work for my don. Then we got the regural one. If so, I heard that they have the arch instead now and it seems that kids like it better than the band, which seems to be better. For books look in amazon just type books for kids with hearing aid and you will got a whole bunch