Hearing Aid - Dealing With Your Child's Listening Issues

When you first realize your child is not able to understand you as well as you think he or she should, it's time to see an audiologist. This doctor is specially trained to deal with listening problems and knows how to figure out how the ears and hearing works. He or she will run tests, offer a diagnosis or referral, and may suggest your child wear a hearing aid.

Once you start researching and learning about listening problems, you may be surprised at all you may learn. The good news is that, sometimes, listening problems are an easy fix. You schedule an appointment with your child's audiologist; he or she will inspect the ear and may notice your child has severe wax buildup. Once this is cleaned out, your child may be able to listen better than ever. Other times, the problem is more severe and the audiologist will need to do further inspection and tests.

There are various areas of the ear, and one section could be the root of the problem. The audiologist's job is to figure out which part is affecting your child's listening ability. This expert will run tests to help figure out what the child can and cannot hear. Some tests involve checking the inner ear to see how it moves and responds during stimulation. Also, there are other tests when the audiologist will provide different noises for the child to hear. During this test, the child will be asked to respond when he or she notices sounds.

Once all the tests are complete, the audiologist will inform you of how well your child did on the test. In addition, this is when he or she will suggest you get further testing, surgery or get a hearing aid. These devices are similar to having a microphone in your ear and the sound can be adjusted to your child's preference. If you need a listening device, your audiologist can help you figure out which one is best for your child. There are some that are really small and can be inserted in the inner ear, and others that are a bit larger.

Furthermore, if your child continues to have listening issues even if they've had a combination of surgery and a hearing aid, there are various things that can help. For instance, your child may excel in a special school that caters to children with listening problems. Or, he or she may do fine in a regular school, but may get extra help with speech classes or other resources. In the end, listening problems don't have to be a problem. Just do the necessary research and get the help and special devices you need.