When parents begin to choose a hearing aid for their children with hearing loss, they often struggle with which is better: behind-the-ear or in-the-ear. In fact, there is no difference between the different types of hearing aids, only in the way they are worn and the people they are intended for.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are more powerful, more comfortable to wear, and the ventilation holes are less likely to clog and easier to clean. However, they are not as aesthetically pleasing as in-the-ear hearing aids because they are hung on the ear.
In-ear hearing aids have an advantageous appearance, are compact and easy to hide, but are more difficult for children to operate.
Better for child to wear behind-the-ear or in-the-ear hearing aid
It is advisable for children to wear behind-the-ear hearing aids.
Children’s ear canals are not yet set in stone and are still developing. The ear canal changes every year as the child grows. A constantly changing ear canal can result in the need to redo the shell of the in-ear machine frequently, which not only increases the cost, but can also cause damage to the child’s ear canal if not redone in a timely manner. This is why in-the-ear hearing aids are not recommended for children.
Wearing an ear-back machine will not affect the development of the ear canal, and it is more comfortable for the child to adapt.
Precautions for children wearing hearing aids
Develop your child’s interest in wearing hearing aids. Parents should find ways to distract the child or show him/her how to wear the hearing aid to develop good habits.
Auditory language training is important. Hearing-impaired children have some difficulties in understanding other people’s speech and expressing their will, and their pronunciation is slurred, so it is crucial to conduct auditory language training. You can train your child to discriminate between various sounds, such as listening to door openings, bells, TV sets, etc. You should also develop language skills, starting with single words, then forming words, followed by simple sentences, and gradually train your child to grow in a normal environment.
Early identification and intervention
Children should be detected early and intervene as early as possible, and they should be fitted with hearing aids as early as possible so as not to delay the time when they learn language. If the best time for language development is missed, it will be difficult to remedy the situation.
Untreated and unintervened hearing loss can seriously affect a child’s ability to understand, speak, learn, and socialize. Therefore, it is important to intervene promptly when a child is found to have hearing loss.
