How did your DC respond to hearing aids?

[LittleSausageFingers]

DD (11 months) has just got a bone conductor hearing aid on a soft band. She has glue ear, and is getting grommets within the next three months, and they'll also do a ABR while she's under GA. VRA hasn't been very successful because she's not really developmentally ready for the games, but it seems that she has overall moderate hearing loss. Not sure if there's something else in addition to the glue ear.

Just wondered how your DC responded to getting hearing aids initially? Did they give you clear signs they could hear?

[BackforGood]

Not my dc, but some I've worked with
The answer is 'yes' immediately if it is a big change - like cochlea implants where a child might have gone from very, very, very little hearing, to a lot. The answer is 'not really' if it is only a small adjustment.
Quite often they find it overwhelming and don't like wearing them at first.

The National Deaf Children's Society are FANTASTIC if you have questions - they have a freephone helpline, a magazine, on line support, etc.,etc. No question too silly but all the expertise in the wold there.

[MrsSam]

Hi, DS4 is double aided. He has sensorineural hearing loss, medium to sever loss. He was almost 6 by the time he got his hearing aids because no one believed me when I said he couldn't hear, he lip read exceptionally well. When he got his hearing aids he was ecstatic! He called them his magic ears and he loved them from minute one. He still loves them, he is now 8 and uses a radio aid in school too. He says they are the best present he ever had.

DD2 was fitted with hearing aids just before her 1st birthday and she too was immediately different, if was obvious she could hear things she hadn't done previously. DD2 also had an ABR done under sedation last year to confirm her specific sensorineural hearing loss profile (a long and different story!).

As PP said, the NDCS are a tremendous help. There is a wealth of information on their web site and there is a helpline if you can't find what you want. There are also a number of local NDCS groups who can offer a lot of support. Finding out your child can't hear what you can and working out how best to deal with it can be tough at first and I found the NDCS fantastic!

[mysteryinthehives]

DS got his hearing aids about two months ago, he's 3.

He hated them at first, very overwhelmed as a PP said, but it was quite clear they were making a difference straight away. We started with him wearing them for as long as he could tolerate and not pushing, which worked out an hour a day, and his speech improved noticeably almost immediately even with such a little time.

He tolerates them better now, he still gets very overwhelmed in crowds with them and sometimes at nursery if there's more noise than "normal" and his speech has continued to improve.

[DollyKoo]

Dd intially loved them, her language saw huge keeps but she started rejecting them at nursery. She is noise sensitive and now refuses them at all.

My sister is a deaf adult who also refuses aids, but she also has social communication needs. It really hinders her in friendships and creates a much higher need. It's great your trying them so young, I think it may be easier to adjust