If your child uses hearing aids, you want to make sure that they have all the resources they need to use and take care of their device and have success while in the classroom. Let’s look at some ways you can help them achieve that.
Fill Your Child’s Backpack With Needed Hearing Aid Supplies 
It’s important your child has all the necessary supplies when they head back to Warner Elementary or another school. This may include notebooks, pens and pencils, erasers and if they have hearing aids, a few other things as well, including:
- Extra hearing aid batteries are good to have on hand in case their device stops working. If your child is young, it may be a good idea to give some batteries to their teachers for safekeeping.
- Adhesives and/or clips can be used to help prevent your child’s hearing aid from falling out during recess or physical education class. It may also be helpful to include a hearing aid sleeve, which can help protect their device from moisture like sweat.
- Cleaning kits with tools to care for their hearing aid in the event moisture or other debris gets into their device while at school.
- Fabric softener sheets can help discharge electricity from their device to help prevent shocks and shorts.
- Small notebooks can be helpful as an additional tool to communicate with their teachers or other students.
- Hard-shell storage kit to keep all these supplies safe and easy to find while in their bag.
Talk To Your Child’s Teacher About Their Hearing Needs
Before the start of the school year, see if you can schedule some time to speak to your child’s teacher about their hearing loss. Letting them know can help them be more understanding if your child seems like they are missing things or not paying attention. It also might help them be more proactive in adopting better communication strategies and considering things like picking the best seating arrangements to help your child hear.
If your child is younger, it can also be helpful to inform their teachers how to change the batteries in their device or troubleshoot any problems that may come up.
Regular Hearing Aid Usage Important to Your Child’s Development
We all know that children don’t always do what they’re supposed to, and this goes for wearing hearing aids in class as well.
A 2015 study found that 24% of children observed were not wearing their hearing aids in the classroom, despite having them. Additionally, children in Grades 5-7 and those with milder hearing loss were less likely to wear their hearing aids overall.
Regular, consistent use of hearing aids is the best way to prevent your child’s hearing loss from negatively impacting their speech and language development. Hearing aids can help your child perform better academically and make it easier for them to socialize with their peers.
If you are concerned about your child’s hearing, call Wilmington Audiology Services and schedule an appointment with one of our experts today.