Hearing aids for children

[Jellycatspyjamas]

After a very long process my DD13 is going to need a hearing aid for hearing loss in one ear. She’s going to have a bone conduction aid that sits on the bone behind her ear. Does any one have experience of this - what questions should I be asking her audiologist and how do I help her adjust to being able to hear?

I don't know, but would like to bump this threat for you.

With hearing aids that are over the ear, wearing them needs to be adjusted slowly, with one hour a week, two hours the next week, and so on until it is full-time. I would maybe ask if there is something similarly done with a bone conduction aid. I would also ask about how best to clean it. I assume it is taken off at night?

All the best!

My DD wore a bone conducting aid for several years. The technology might have changed a bit by now, but I'd assume that it's not dissimilar to the ones that joggers wear.

There was no transition as such, just glad to be rid of all the faff and ear infections of her in-ear aids. So it was an immediate improvement. The only adjustment was learning to recognise the direction of sounds. Very lively sporty girl. She still needed to see people during a conversation to feel confident that she had heard correctly. Had some speech therapy for a while.

In her late teens it was replaced with a bone-anchored implant which she now operates with her iphone.

If you can, go private
I have been issued a singular hearing aid via NHS and frankly it's rubbish. I don't even bother with it.
Went to scrivens and they allowed me to try on a pair of theirs
OMG the difference!! It was honestly like a different world had been opened up
Sadly I can't afford them, but if I could I would definitely get them

Thank you, her hearing has always been an issue - I honestly don’t think her hearing was ever correct and she’s developed lots of strategies to mask the fact.

@Unex her hearing in one ear is perfect hence the singular aid, in your experience is it still worth looking at a pair? I’ll check about SALT input. I worry about sensory overload and adjusting to being able to hear more clearly particularly in busy classrooms etc.

I would not go privately for a child’s hearing loss management. She needs access to the full range of NHS support including the SALT team.

@Jellycatspyjamas
The hearing in the "better" ear is poor, but not bad enough for NHS hearing aid .
Regarding what's best for your daughter I'm afraid I really don't know.
Maybe see how the NHS ones work out for you, and take it from there?
Remember the private option though if that's something you can afford.
Scrivens ones were also in-ear so loads better cosmetically and they linked to an app where you can adjust for crowds, meetings etc. and they had a find my hearing aid feature! It really was like leaping into the future compared to the NHS offering

This maybe useful if you haven’t already been given it.

https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/hearing-aids-and-implants/hearing-implants/bone-conduction-hearing-devices/

For children as PP stick NHS it’s the big Centers that usually do bone conduction or BAHA for single sided deafness so they will hopefully be really good. As a question you coul ask about a cross aid to as another option for SSD.

best of luck

Thank you, I intend to stay with the NHS for the time being - the hospital she’s connected to is a centre of excellence and they have been brilliant so far through different surgeries and assessments. I’ll keep the private option in my back pocket though for future.

Good idea to ask about a cross aid. It’s all new to me, there was hope that recent surgery would restore her hearing but it hasn’t helped as they hoped it would, so I’m in new territory.

Hmm I'd say brace yourself for your DD potentially rejecting wearing the hearing aid. My DD has been moderately hearing impaired in both ears since birth. I have to say the NHS support has been outstanding - the best most discreet hearing aids, kind and understanding clinicians, including OT and psych support - nothing was too much trouble. But still DD hated them. She would feel overwhelmed and anxious. She would pretend to wear them but rarely did. She prefers to be semi-deaf and lip read. The SCSN team from the LEA were great in trying to persuade her and working with her teachers on strategies to support DD without the aids - ie use of written instruction, placement in the class, subtitles always on videos etc - but at 17 we have finally decided that it is her choice and we can't force her to join the hearing world if she doesn't wish to.

There are a lot of options. They Paed Audiolgist will talk you through the best option for your DD. You may also be worth contacting the NDCS a enquiring if you have a local group. Where there are other parents and children with hearing aids possibly SSD. You may also be assigned a Teacher of the deaf TOD if you have not been already who will also work through the transition with you.

They will sort you out you’ll be ok 👌

My 50+ year old brother with learning difficulties had one fitted last year. He was supposed to increase the usage gradually, but accepted it so well he was wearing it full days in no time.
His was NHS (Middlesborough) and they were brilliant, but there is a lot of appointments before and after.
The link to phone is brilliant - he hadn't listened to music or taken phone calls for years but can do both now.
Hope your daughter gets on ok. Deafness is rubbish, but especially at a younger age.

I'd agree with this, I have DS who's 17 and stopped wearing around covid time (he used to get so embarrassed at school when his hearing aids popped out when taking off face masks, and just stopped and never went back)

However your DD should be supported in school by visits from a TOD, and the NDCS website is an incredible source of information.

@Thunderpunt

Did he have the proprietary blue tooth hearing aids. We were late getting them but the teens have loved them. They have turned around some poor wearers to good users. The fact they can stream straight to their pads or answer their phones with their hearing aids has led to some very happy faces 👍

@Doingthework hi there, yes his most recent ones are all singing all dancing Bluetooth enabled, volume control, etc so he could stream his phone direct to them.... but he just won't budge.
It's a worry as he's leaving school this year and hoping to secure a job - probably office based, and I suspect things like meetings and telephone calls are not going to be easy for him.

It is a shame when they take the decision to not wear them. It’s a difficult age to try to outline the benefits. The new ones for us have been great and with the integrated radio receiver that’s helped also. Access to work can help once he’s in employment.

They do come back in the end maybe when he starts working and leaves school he may feel differently. We have an open door policy I’ve just got one of our lads back in his mid 20’s. Had been coping on shear determination and concentration and just got fed up with it.

it’s had to suggest anything particularly without knowing your ds there are Ndcs local groups that may have some teens attending but again he probably won’t want to attend. There are some opportunities that can open up because of the deafness. One of our hearing aid user’s represented England in a deaf sport which he was very proud of.

wishing you and your ds the very best x

NDCS can be a great support, including meet ups with other children / teens / families in the same situation. Chance to meet others in the same position.

Had she already had a temporary one to see if she gets on with it? It's not fitted through surgery so can be taken off and something else tried if she doesn't like it. If she likes it, then make sure it's the best they offer, with Bluetooth, phone app etc.

A CROS aid could be a solution, but this involves wearing two hearing aids, usually BTE (behind the ear). She may prefer a BAHA that can be hidden by her hair.

Don't forget to ask about additional equipment. A BAHA from Cochlear should come with a code (in the box) and she can claim a free piece of tech, like a TV streamer or similar.

They tried one on at her appointment - her dad took her because I had something unavoidable at work and we weren’t expecting a decision to be made at that appointment. I think part of my worry is that I wasn’t there to ask the questions I need to or find out about all the options. I plan to give her audiologist a call next week to find out what the plan is, what types of device they can offer etc.

Really good help in everyone’s responses, thank you, I feel a bit better equipped going back to the audiologist.