Children and Young Person’s Audiology
There is a team of professionals who provide services and support for children who have hearing aids, and their families. However, the child’s parents or guardians have the main role in enabling a child to get the most from their hearing aids. This includes:
Full time hearing aid use
- It is important that your child wears their hearing aids for all their waking hours. People with normal hearing are not able to “turn off” their hearing, so children with a hearing loss need to be able to hear what is going on around them at all times.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that babies and children who show consistent and daily use, have a better chance of developing good speech and language. It can be challenging at times to get a baby or child used to wearing hearing aids when they have not done so previously. - During the first year, when a baby starts to be able to reach their hearing aids, they may go through a phase when they think taking their hearing aids out is a good game or will get them attention. Teenagers may also become concerned about their looks and question whether they want to wear hearing aids. The team does understand that consistent use can be problematic throughout childhood. However, by keeping calm and persevering they often come through the other side.
Attending hearing aid reviews
- It is important you attend your child’s hearing aid reviews. One reason is to ensure that hearing levels have remained stable. Even if you think there has not been any change in their hearing, there will be adjustments needed to their hearing aids as they grow.
Maintaining your child’s hearing aids in good working order
- We will supply you with a hearing aid care kit and can provide replacement items as needed. Hearing aids need to be checked daily to make sure they sound as they should and that the batteries are working. You need to make sure you have an adequate supply of batteries at home (and nursery or school when they are older) and take some with you when you go out.
- If earmoulds do not fit well or there is a fault with the hearing aids, this can result in your child not being able to hear well enough. If this is not sorted out quickly it will not only make communication more challenging in the short term, but it could also affect your child’s willingness to wear their hearing aids due to the limited benefit or discomfort they are experiencing. This in turn will bring new and additional challenges.
- It is important you look after your child’s hearing aids. This includes making sure they are switched off and stored in a safe place overnight when they are not being worn and using a retaining clip so they do not get lost if your baby or child is constantly pulling them out or regularly involved in an activity where they might fall out more easily
- As they get older it is important your child establishes independent hearing aid use and care. A separate information leaflet is available to guide you on what to expect and when.
What we will do as an audiology department
We will invite you to come for regular hearing aid reviews. When your child is a baby (up to two years of age), we will see them approximately every three months for a review.
From the age of two years, we will see them approximately every six months for a review and from the age of five we will try to see them annually until they are eighteen.
In specific cases, you may be seen at slightly different intervals depending on the individual needs of the child. However, we would discuss and agree this with you.
Please note, there may be times when a virtual review either through telephone or video chat is more appropriate. We will inform you via phone or letter if this is the case.
We will also:
See to any immediate problems with hearing aids and earmoulds in the repair clinic.
If you are unsure about whether you should attend a repair clinic or arrange a hearing aid review appointment, please explain when you contact the department, and the receptionist will assign the most appropriate clinic.
Issue an individual management plan at every hearing aid review appointment which we will discuss with you during your visit.
Provide you with a wide range of information about hearing loss, hearing aids, associated disorders and family support if required.
Answer any questions you have. You are welcome to contact the department at any time. If we do not know the answer, we will endeavour to find out and get back to your promptly.
To ease communication, please ensure you keep us informed of any changes in contact details and provide a telephone number to call you back on when leaving a message on the answer machine.
Provide copies of all the reports we write following hospital appointments, plus copies of hearing test results.
We are very happy to go through these reports or explain test results to ensure you fully understand them.
What the hearing-impaired service and sensory teaching advisory and resources service will do
The hearing-impaired service and sensory teaching advisory and resources service
(STARS) is a team of specialist teachers, who provide support for all children with a diagnosed hearing impairment, and their families. The teachers are known as “teachers of the deaf.”
Support usually begins at diagnosis and continues throughout the child’s education. However, if you have previously declined support from them, a referral can be made at any time.
A range of support is offered according to the individual needs of the child, from an occasional school visit to monitor progress and offer advice, to weekly visits at home or school. They can also liaise with your child’s teacher to ensure that they are aware and able to meet the needs of your child in the classroom.
What happens if my child loses a hearing aid?
If you suspect your child is suffering from an ear infection, we recommend that you see your GP straight away. It is important to treat ear infections quickly. Hearing aids should not be used in the affected ear until the infection has gone, blocking the ear with a mould can stop the infection from clearing up as quickly.
If your child’s ear infection does not improve or they are suffering with repeated ear infections please contact us as we can arrange for your child to be seen by the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department if necessary. If they are already under an ENT consultant, please contact their secretary directly with any queries around ear infections as audiologists cannot treat these.
What if the hearing aid is not working?
If you cup your hands around the hearing aid and you do not hear a whistle, try changing the battery. If you still do not hear any whistling sounds coming from the hearing aid, please send into the department to be returned in a self-addressed envelope or contact the department for an appointment.
What happens if my child’s ear becomes blocked with wax?
Wax is a naturally occurring substance that is produced by the skin lining the ear canal. Usually, wax is able to work its way out of the ear canal. However, this is more difficult when hearing aids are worn as they block the ear canal and wax may build up as a result.
Wax only becomes a problem if the child needs new earmoulds, the hearing aids are whistling (feeding back), or if it becomes hard and completely blocks the ear canal.
If the hearing aids are whistling and the ear canal is blocked with wax it may be the wax that is causing the feedback. If the ear is blocked with wax, the audiologist will advise the best course of action. This can be to use eardrops, to see your GP for wax removal, or for us to arrange for your child to be seen in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department to have this removed.
Once the wax is removed, if the hearing aids continue to whistle, it is likely that new earmoulds are needed.
Occasionally the hearing aids will whistle if something is very close to them, such as a hat, and sometimes it may not be possible to get rid of this entirely.
What if the hearing aids go “off” and then start working again?
If your child complains that the hearing aid keeps going on and off and you have noticed that the hearing aid works intermittently, it could be a fault with the hearing aid, but it is more likely to be due to condensation.
Condensation (small droplets of water) can build up inside the hearing aid or mould with continued use. If this occurs, it can stop the sounds from getting from the hearing aid into the child’s ear and stop the hearing aids from working properly.
Once the hearing aid has dried out, it usually starts to work properly again. You should have been given some drying capsules and a drying pot in the hearing aid care kit that you were issued with when the hearing aids were first fitted. These can be used to draw the water out and we would recommend that the hearing aids are kept in there when not in use to keep the hearing aids dry.
Sometimes condensation or water droplets can be shaken out of the earmould, or an air puffer used. Again, the air puffer should have been issued in the care kit you received when the hearing aids were fitted. Some children keep a spare air puffer in school and learn to use this themselves so if you would like one for this purpose, please let us know.
How do I keep my child’s or baby’s hearing aids in place?
In small children, especially babies, it can be difficult to keep the hearing aids in place as the ears are quite soft and floppy. We can provide double sided sticky pads which are designed to stick to skin and hold the hearing aid behind the ear.
Alternatives are “huggies” which are bands which go around the ears or soft, colourful headbands with loops to secure the hearing aids in place.
How will I know if the batteries need changing?
If the hearing aid is not working, first try changing the battery.
Be aware that hearing aid batteries do have a use by date printed on the packet. Batteries will usually need to be changed every one to two weeks with consistent use, but this does depend on the exact model and power of the hearing aid.
If your child uses a radio aid then this will use the batteries a lot more quickly so be prepared to change them more frequently if this is the case.
Batteries can be obtained from the hospital and other centres which will have been listed with your battery card. Some GP surgeries also provide batteries but check with your own GP if this is the case. We are also able to post out batteries if you have significant difficulties in getting into any of the centres.
Please be aware that batteries are dangerous if swallowed. For children under the age of five a tamperproof drawer is fitted to prevent batteries falling out and getting to within the child’s reach. A special tool is needed to open the battery drawer, which will be provided.
If your child is over the age of five, but may be at risk of putting batteries into their mouth, or if there are children under the age of five or vulnerable adults living in the household, please discuss with us the option of a tamperproof drawer.
How do I know which hearing aid fits which ear?
If your child has a pair of hearing aids the right and the left hearing aid will be specifically set to the hearing in that ear.
It is therefore important to keep the hearing aids in the correct ears and not mix them up. Please ensure that the right hearing aid stays with the right earmould and the left with the left earmould. The hearing aids will have a blue or red marker on them.
What should I do if my child needs new earmoulds?
New earmoulds are usually needed if the earmoulds are visibly loose and keep falling out all the time, or there is whistling (feedback) coming from the hearing aids when they are correctly inserted into the ears.
Children can grow quickly so there may be periods of time when new earmoulds are needed frequently. Very young babies may need new earmoulds every couple of weeks to around once monthly, but once children are over one year of age they will need them replacing a lot less frequently and it is not necessary to have new earmoulds made as often.
If your child needs new earmoulds please contact the department to arrange an appointment.
If they happen to be in for a hearing aid review appointment, we can take impressions during the appointment. However, if your child needs new earmoulds and their next clinic appointment is not for some time, please contact the department to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.
Earmoulds can be clear or requested with pictures, colours or glitter, but the options available will depend on the type of hearing loss your child has and their age.
Keeping moulds clean
Earmoulds should be cleaned in warm soapy water at least once a week.
The hearing aid must be separated from the earmould before being washed. Please try to keep the right hearing aid with the right earmould and the left hearing aid with the left earmould.
The best way to do this is to wash them in turn to reduce the risk of you accidentally switching the side. As mentioned above, hearing aids are set to specifically fit your child’s ear so they should not be switched as they will not be set correctly even if your child has similar hearing in both of their ears.
Before reattaching the earmould to the hearing aid please ensure all moisture has been removed from the tube inside the earmould; the air puffer can be used for this.
You can also wipe and clean the earmoulds with baby wipes, in addition to washing them weekly, which will also help to keep them clean.
What happens if my child’s hearing changes?
After the fitting of your child’s hearing aids they will be reviewed shortly afterwards to see how they have been getting on. They will also have regular hearing aid reviews, the frequency of which will depend on their age. Hearing will be checked at this appointment.
If however, between hearing aid reviews you have any concerns that your child’s hearing has changed, please contact us so we can arrange a sooner appointment.
Other services for children with hearing impairment
Education Services
Education services provide specialist support for hearing impaired children. When babies are diagnosed this may be visits at home and to nursery and school when they are older. All children are referred to these specialist services at diagnosis of hearing loss with parental consent.
Social care
Social care may be able to provide environmental aids to help your child make the most use of their hearing aids at home. They may also be able to provide other services to help support you and your child.
Contacting us
If you have any questions, please ring the Paediatric Audiology team on the below contact details.
Further information can be found on our website detailed below or by scanning the QR code.
Telephone: 01642 854071
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/audiology
Patient experience
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.
This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.
To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the Patient Experience Department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print.
T: 01642 835964
E: [email protected]
The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW.
Telephone: 01642 850850
