262 chapter 31
Helping a child to hear better
Children who are not completely deaf can sometimes be helped to hear better:
• When possible, have the child’s hearing and ears examined by a specialist. A few
children are born with a closed ear tube or other defect in the structure of the
ear. Rarely these problems can be corrected by surgery, and the children can
hear better. (Note: For children whose hearing loss comes from brain damage,
surgery will not help.)
• Children who have hearing loss because of ear infections may begin to hear
better if the ear infections are treated early and steps are taken to prevent more
infections. (See p. 276.)
• Some children can hear better with aids that make sounds louder. A ‘hearing
aid’ allows some children to understand words fairly well, and can make a big
difference in learning to listen and speak. For other children, an aid makes them
more aware of sounds (which helps) but does not help them to tell the difference
between words. If it appears the child will benefit a lot from a hearing aid, it helps
to begin as early as age 1 or 2.
The simplest
aid is a
hand cupped
behind the
ear.
Better is an ‘ear
trumpet’. You
can make one out
of a cow horn,
cardboard, or
tin.
Better still (for some children) is a
‘hearing aid’ with batteries. But
usually these are very expensive.
For best results, it
should be fitted by
a specially-trained
worker after the
child’s hearing
has been carefully
tested.
microphone
batteries
Piece that fits into ear
(best if molded to fit
the specific child). In
a growing child it will
need to be changed
often.
CAUTION: If you get a child a hearing aid, be sure to ask for instructions on keeping it clean,
dry, and working well. Be sure you have a supply of extra batteries and know how to get more.
• Young children who do not hear well can sometimes be helped to listen more
carefully, and to learn the difference between sounds:
Make different sounds and encourage the child to take
notice. When a donkey brays or a baby cries, say clearly
and loudly, “Listen to the donkey,” or “What was it?” If
the child answers or points in the right direction, praise
him.
Have the child make different
sounds—hitting pans, drumming, ringing
bells, and so on. See if he can move or
dance to the beat of music or drums.
Talk a lot to the child. And sing to her. Tell her the
name of different parts of her body, and other things.
Ask her to touch or point to them. Praise her when
she does. Experiment to find out how near the child’s
ear you need to be, and how loud you have to speak,
to get the child’s attention, or for him to repeat the
sounds you make. Then try to speak near and loud
enough. Speak clearly, but do not shout.
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