Managing Hearing Aids/ Listening Devices

EBP: According to ASHA, the child with a hearing impairment and their family are significant parts of the care team when hearing aids are newly introduced as part of an aural rehabilitation plan. It is important that children where assistive listening devices routinely to promote improved hearing abilitites and reduce the amount of information that can be missed resulting from hearing impairment (Walker et al., 2015).  Walker et al., (2015) concluded in a study that children that wear listening devices regularly will have less of a risk for deficits in vocabulary and grammar usage.  Children wearing assisted listening devices will depend on family to help maintain devices and encourage regular use.  Speech language pathologists will play an integral part in educating the family and child about device management and the importance of routine use (ASHA).

The following activities can be used to target listening device use and indpendent maintenance to ensure they are worn regulary to achieve optimal listening in all environments and situations.

References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Hearing aids for children. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/hearing-aids-for-children/#collapse_1 

Walker, E. A., Holte, L., McCreery, R. W., Spratford, M., Page, T., & Moeller, M. P. (2015). The influence of hearing aid use on outcomes of children with mild hearing loss. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 58(5), 1611–1625. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_jslhr-h-15-0043