The process of getting the right hearing instruments is important and ongoing. It requires strong motivation and active participation from you as a parent. Even the most advanced instruments will not help if your child does not wear them, or if they are not properly maintained.
Your child’s willingness to wear hearing instruments will most likely depend on how much you can teach and motivate them. The more knowledge they have, and the more involved they feel, the easier things will be. The earlier the child learns to handle their hearing loss and hearing instruments, the more ownership they will take and the more confident they will feel. One way to achieve this is to make sure that their first experiences with hearing instruments are positive. For instance, make sure that the first sounds your child hears with the new hearing instruments are gentle, comfortable sounds such as music or friendly talk.
Also, be aware of the importance of being motivated as a parent. If you are unmotivated and cannot accept what is going on, your child will immediately react and reject the hearing instruments. Remember to be happy and positive when they first start wearing them.
However, no matter how well your child seems to be adapting to the hearing instruments, there will always be times when he or she takes them off – sometimes much to your frustration. Be aware that there can be many reasons for this, not all of which are related to the hearing instruments or the hearing loss.
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Information provided by Oticon. Reproduced with permission.
Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is not intended as a substitute for independent professional advice.
