222 appendix a: hearing aids
If a child can use a hearing aid, it is best
for the child to begin wearing the aid
as soon as possible. This way he can
get used to hearing sounds and start
learning what they mean. To get the
most help from his hearing aid, he should
wear it all the time, except when he is
bathing or sleeping.
Babies can begin
wearing hearing
aids when they
are as young as
3 months old.
Is a hearing aid a good choice for your family?
If you are trying to decide whether a hearing aid is right for your child,
you must think about:
• where your child will get hearing tests
• how much a hearing aid will cost
Your child’s hearing must be tested by someone who
is trained and has testing equipment (see Chapter 5).
Information from the test is used to set the
hearing aid so it will make sounds the right
loudness for your child. He will need to be
tested every year.
Here are some questions to consider:
Can we afford the testing?
Testing can be expensive. Some places,
however, offer testing free or at low cost.
Can we afford a hearing aid, and new earmolds and batteries?
Hearing aids are expensive to begin with, but buying the aid is not the
only cost. A child between the ages of 2 and 6 will need a new earmold
about every 6 months because his ears are growing fast. The earmold
must fit well, otherwise the hearing aid will not work correctly.
Getting new earmolds and
batteries can be very costly.
In some places, the government may have
programs to give free or low-cost hearing
aids to all children who need them. Try
contacting the Ministry of Education, the
Ministry of Health, or a school for the
deaf. But such programs are not available
everywhere.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)