When permanent hearing loss exists
If your child has a hearing loss which cannot be treated medically or surgically, your audiologist can offer you various options to help your child hear better. There is now virtually no hearing loss that cannot be helped through the use of appropriate listening devices.

The goal for children with permanent hearing loss is to optimize auditory abilities to help them with language learning and academic development.

Hearing Instruments
Hearing instruments amplify sound and can be provided at any age. A young child is fit with behind-the-ear (BTE) style hearing instruments. These are placed behind the child’s ear, attached to a custom-fit earmold, which fits inside the ear canal. These hearing instruments come in a variety of colors and can help a wide range of hearing losses – from mild to moderate to profound. Older children may be candidates for the in-the-ear (ITE) style hearing instruments, which are custom-made to fit inside the ear canal and help with mild-to-severe hearing losses. The decision whether the child should be fit with one or two hearing instruments depends mainly on the configuration of the hearing loss.

New, high-technology features today offer the use of remote controls, enabling the older child the ability to shift between several listening programs, suitable for the different acoustical situations a child encounters during a normal day. These programs are chosen in close cooperation between the child, the parents and the audiologist. Also, directional microphones give the child the chance to suppress background noises and "zoom in" on speech, even in a noisy classroom.