What are hearing aids and how do they work?
Hearing aids are devices that help children with hearing loss by amplifying sound and improving their communication skills. The right device depends on the type and degree of hearing loss, as well as your child’s age and needs. Learn more about how hearing aids work.
Types of hearing aids
- Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids: The most common style for children. The device sits behind the ear and connects to an earmold that fits inside the ear.
- Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) hearing aid: Typically used for older children or teens. This style consists of a small body connected to a thin wire to a speaker (receiver) that sits in the ear canal.
Learn more about the types of hearing aids and how to care for them.
Specialized hearing aids solutions
Bone conduction hearing devices
Children with conductive or mixed hearing loss may benefit from a bone conduction hearing device.
Instead of sending sound through the ear canal, these devices transmit sound vibrations directly to the inner ear through the skull bone.
Bone conduction systems are often recommended for:
- Chronic middle ear disease
- Ear shapes that cannot support a traditional hearing aid
These devices can help children hear more clearly when conventional hearing aids are not an option.
CROS and BiCROS hearing aids
Children with significant hearing loss in one ear may benefit from a CROS or BiCROS system.
- CROS (Contralateral Routing of the Signal): Sends sound from the poorer hearing ear to a device worn on the better hearing ear.
- BiCROS: Combines a CROS device with a traditional hearing aid for children who have some hearing loss in the better ear.
These systems help children hear sounds from all directions, improving communication and safety in everyday situations.
What should I consider when purchasing hearing aids for my child?
First and foremost, a medical examination of your child is required prior to purchasing hearing aids to make sure that there are no contraindications for wearing amplification.
Once medical clearance is obtained from an ear, nose and throat specialist, practical considerations should be addressed. The following are some topics you may want to discuss with your audiologist:
- Potential for a hearing aid trial
- Insurance coverage and personal cost
- Style of hearing aid(s)
- One or two hearing aids
- Level of technology inside the hearing aid
- Warranty, repairs, loss and damage coverage
- Hearing aid adjustments by the audiologist
- Other assistive listening devices
- Educational audiology and the school systems
