Hearing Instruments

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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.

Talk to your local audiologist about what might be suitable for your child.