|
by Paula Rosenthal, J.D.
As a hearing aid user for 32 years and also a parent
of a child who has worn aids for 4 years, determining
whether new hearing aids are necessary has not always
been clear cut. As with most aspects of managing hearing
loss, it is up to you to be proactive in determining
if new hearing aids and assistive listening devices
(ALDs) are appropriate. Don't wait for your hearing
healthcare professionals (doctors, audiologists, etc.)
to keep you up-to-date on the latest products available.
Follow these tips below to help assess the need for
new hearing aids for yourself or your child.
1. The Audiologist
Be sure to find a reputable audiologist whose opinion
you trust. A good audiologist will have information
on and distribute many brands of hearing aids and assistive
devices. For children, educational audiologists are
preferable as they are more apt to understand the specific
needs children have for hearing and acoustics in classrooms.
To find out if there is an educational audiologist in
your area, contact the Educational Audiology Association,
4319 Ehrlich Road, Tampa, Florida 33624, phone: 800.460.7322,
Email: EAA@L-TGRAYE.COM. Another source for a children's
audiologist is to contact a local school for deaf and/or
hearing impaired children and ask if they have an audiology
department or an audiologist on staff. Let your audiologist
know that you are interested in learning about new technology
and advancements.
2. Changes in Hearing
If your or your child's hearing changes and is determined
to be a permanent, sensorineural loss (not conductive),
ask the audiologist if a stronger pair of hearing aids
are necessary. Some hearing aids offer considerable
gain and may only need an adjustment to be tuned to
the new level of hearing loss. If they don't offer more
gain, or they are already using most of the amplification
available, it may be time to consider a more powerful
hearing aid.
3. Changes in Speech
If you notice that your or your child's speech sounds
sloppy or begins to regress, request a new hearing and
speech evaluation. Changes in speech may be indicative
of a change in hearing and may warrant an adjustment
on the current aids or a new pair of hearing aids.
4. Testing New Hearing Aids
At least once or twice a year, ask the audiologist
if there are any new hearing aids available or coming
onto the market that may be suitable for you or your
child. If there is, set up a trial period. Have the
audiologist conduct an aided hearing evaluation after
the new hearing aids have been worn for at least a week
or more. New hearing aids can take several days to get
used to. Compare the aided results to recent tests with
the original pair of aids. This will help assess whether
the new pair of aids offers enough benefit to consider
purchasing them.
5. Stay Informed
Make it a habit to periodically check the hearing aid
manufacturers' web sites for information on new products.
The Resource Directory at HearingExchange offers links
to several top hearing aid manufacturers' sites: www.hearingexchange.com/resources/Hearing_Aid_Manufacturers/.
Another way to stay informed of new products is to visit
the News section of HearingExchange which is located
on the main page at www.HearingExchange.com. News articles
are updated regularly.
There are also some daily listserves that can keep
you abreast of hearing aid and assistive technology
news. My favorites are: bhNews and USA-L News. To subscribe,
send a blank email to
bhNEWS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and/or a blank
email to USA-L_News-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Consider receiving these in digest format as they send
out many articles each day.
Accurately fitted hearing aids are important for listening,
comprehension and speaking. It also plays a significant
part in the emotional well-being of hearing impaired
adults and children. By keeping these tips in mind,
you will have a better idea of when new hearing aids
may be necessary.
Paula Rosenthal, J.D. is married and a mother of two
young children. She, her husband and daughter are all
hearing impaired. Her son has normal hearing. Paula
is the founder and publisher of www.HearingExchange.com,
an online community of resources and support for people
with hearing loss, parents of deaf and hard of hearing
children and professionals who work with them. Subscribe
to HearingExchange News and any of the other free newsletters
and chat reminders available at lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=6181
© Copyright Paula Rosenthal, 2002.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of this article requires
express, written permission of the author. Send an email
to reprints@hearingexchange.com
with your request.
|
