Hearing Aids for Children

Why Should I Have My Child Wear Hearing Aids?

• Children use their hearing to develop language skills in order to communicate.
• If a child has a hearing loss, the basic development of language will often be delayed.
• Even a mild hearing loss can affect a child's language development and communications skills.

"If your baby wears hearing aids only four hours each day, it will take six years to give him as much listening experience as a normally hearing infant accumulates in one year."
(Stovall, D. [1982]. Teaching Speech to Hearing Impaired Infants and Children. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.)

What if My Child is Just a Baby?

• The earlier the hearing loss is detected and the earlier it is treated, the better outcome for the child.
• With today’s technology, children can be fitted with hearing aids within the first few weeks or months after birth.
• The first step is to have the child fitted with the appropriate hearing aid.
• This is where your audiologist plays a big part for you and your child!

• The day your child begins wearing hearing aids is the day you start helping him overcome some of the challenges created by hearing impairment!

Why Choose All Children's?

• All Children's Hospital Master’s or Doctoral educated audiologists can determine what type of hearing aid will best meet your child’s specific needs based on a detailed hearing evaluation battery.
• We dispense digital hearing aids and verify the hearing aid’s unique performance to better meet your child’s needs.
• We provide hearing aid checkups and services to keep your child hearing and to ensure that their hearing aids are working at their best.
• We provide extensive education about hearing aid use, care, and age appropriate training with you and your child on the options the hearing aids provide.
• We work closely with your child’s Speech Language Pathologist and your child’s teacher or educational audiologist.

Where Can I Get More Information?

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association maintains an excellent set of articles and resources for patients and families regarding Speech-Language Hearing issues. Their article on Hearing Aids for Children provides more detailed information.