If your child is one of the 34 million children with hearing loss, you know that back-to-school season brings unique challenges. As a parent, you may be worried about how their time at school will be: will they be able to hear lessons in the classroom? Will they struggle socially? Will their hearing aids work properly for the whole school day? At the same time, your child might be feeling anxious about school.
We at South Valley Ear Nose & Throat – West Jordan want to empower you and your child this school year. With a strong support system behind them, your child will have a happy, successful, fulfilling school year. Let’s talk about some steps you can take now to prepare.
Explain Hearing Loss to Your Child
Hearing and hearing loss are complicated topics, and hearing aids are sophisticated, delicate pieces of technology. Your child may find all the technicalities of their own hearing loss confusing. It’s important to have conversations with your child about their hearing loss so they can understand their own needs.
Knowledge is power. (That’s why they go to school!) Make sure they understand the basics of their type of hearing loss. Teach them about how their hearing aids work. Giving them this knowledge ahead of time gives them the ability to explain their hearing needs to their teacher or friends.
Schedule an Audiology Checkup
At the beginning of the school year, it’s helpful to have the most up-to-date information regarding your child’s hearing loss, so make an appointment for an updated audiogram. This appointment is a great opportunity to review your child’s hearing aids and determine if they need to be reprogrammed or refit.
Also, taking your child to an audiology appointment is an excellent opportunity for them to learn more about their hearing loss, as discussed above. Encourage your child to listen actively during the appointment and to ask their audiologist questions.
Establish Communication Strategies With Your Child
Discuss with your child what they find helpful when communicating with other people. Hearing and understanding are critical to the learning process. But communication is a two-way street: for your child to hear and understand what the teacher is saying, the teacher must communicate effectively with your child.
Ask your child what helps them focus and hear better, and what they’re comfortable with. Discuss if they want to give their teacher a lapel mic to stream audio directly to their hearing aids, and if they’re comfortable sitting at the front of the class. Explore ways to minimize distractions at their desk (e.g., keep pencils off the surface so they aren’t tempted to doodle or ask the teacher to keep the door shut) so they can focus on listening. Talk about note-taking or other visual aids that can help them retain information.
Boost Your Child’s Confidence
Don’t shy away from the hard conversation. Feeling different can be especially challenging for a child, and your child may struggle with feeling like their hearing loss means something is “wrong” or “broken” about them. Address any anxiety or negative self-talk and remind them that there’s nothing broken about them. Their hearing aids are a tool for them to hear better, just like glasses are a tool to help people see.
We recommend seeking out books, TV shows or other media that feature a child with hearing aids. It’s empowering for your child to see positive representation. Also, seek out a community of other children who wear hearing aids, or who are deaf or hard of hearing. Having a community like that will help your child feel included.
Finally, remind them that it’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to ask for repeats or clarification. It’s far better to raise their hand and ask a question than it is to bluff and nod along when they didn’t hear what was said. Start this school year with knowledge and confidence, for both you and your child. Have a great school year!