My two-year-old son was recently diagnosed with a moderate to severe hearing loss. He is now wearing two hearing aids. How will I know if the hearing aids are working properly? And how will I know if/when they need to be adjusted?
There are several ways to check if your child's hearing aids are working properly or not.
Your role as a parent is of paramount importance within the entire process, but to make sure the hearing aids are working properly, you need professional assistance from an audiologist.
The audiologist will adjust the hearing aids to match the prescription and verify through objective measurements the acoustic performance of the hearing aids. The audiologist will adjust your son's hearing aids, and advise earmold replacements according to your child's growth to ensure an accurate fit and to avoid feedback problems. The audiologist will also test your child's hearing regularly and determine any changes and modifications in the hearing aid settings or the earmolds.
Real Ear Measurements help determine the maximum level of sound delivered to your child's ear and the amount of amplification that he needs. If the hearing aids are too loud, your child may feel discomfort and reject them. Real Ear Measurements help determine the appropriate level of amplification so that this does not happen.
You can verify the functioning of your childs hearing aids through observation in his natural environment. Watch to see if he responds on his own to his name and other sounds. Does he attempt to imitate the words you say? These are all good signs that his hearing aids are working.
Ensure your child wears the hearing aids regularly, that the hearing aids are turned on, and check the seal of the earmolds and to ensure that they are not blocked with earwax or debris. You should also make sure the aids have fresh batteries and visit your local hearing clinic regularly for service.
