Support Services Handout Series
Number 5003 Audiology Sheet
earing Aids And Other Listening Devices

Types of Hearing Aids

Earlevel Aid: This aid fits behind the ear and directs sound into the ear with an earmold. Earlevel aids come in all levels of power. They are the widely used for children with all degrees of hearing loss.

Body Aid: This aid is housed in a box-like casing. Cords leading from the receiver direct sound to the ear. This type of high power aid was generally used in the past with children having severe to profound hearing loss. This type of aid is not typically used now as earlevel type aids can provide sufficient power for most children.

In-The-Ear or Canal Aid: This type of aid is made to fit inside the ear. An in-the-ear aid works best for people with mild to moderate hearing impairments. This aid may not be the best recommendation for children as the entire casing of the aid (not only the earmold) must be replaced to keep up with the child's growth.

Eyeglass Aid: This earlevel-type aid is attached to the eyeglass stem. These aids are not usually recommended for children, because when either the glasses or the aid breaks, the user must manage without both until repairs can be made.

Vibrotactile Aid: This body-type aid uses a small oscillator instead of an earmold. The oscillator is worn behind the ear, on the wrist, or on the chest. It helps children to feel the vibrations of sound. It is used for children who get little benefit from other types of traditional hearing aids.

What to Expect From a Hearing Aid

Hearing aids amplify sound, they do not clarify it.

Do not expect a hearing aid to solve your student's hearing problems. Hearing aids do not correct sound distortions as glasses correct vision.

The benefits of a hearing aid are directly influenced by distance and environmental noise. The farther the student is placed from the sound source, the more difficult it will be for the student to hear at maximum potential.Aids amplify all sounds, wanted and unwanted, making it difficult for students trying to listen in a noisy classroom.

Range of Listening Skills

Students may experience a wide variety of benefits with use of a hearing aid. The child's audiological report should suggest the kinds of improvements that might be expected. If not, try to obtain information on potential hearing benefits from the audiologist, so you will know what level of listening skills to expect. Some possible benefits from amplification may include.

awareness of sounds for warning and environmental safety.

ability to tell the difference between sounds when the sounds are very different

ability to pick up changes in rhythm and rate of speech.

ability to monitor their own voice and develop skills related to speech development.

recognition of a few words when the context of the message and e choice set of what will be said is very limited.

recognition of expanding words and greater detail in sentences

recognition of expanding words and greater detail in sentences

comprehension of most of what is said in an ideal listening environment (quiet, face to face).

Listening Considerations for Children Using Hearing Aids

Even for children who are auditory learners, some children who wear hearing aids are still not have access to many high pitched sounds. This may impact considerably on a child's understanding of speech and ability to be successful with some traditionally used classroom teaching techniques (i.e., phonics, spelling tests) that require finely tuned discrimination abilities. Some students may have particular problems with high pitched sounds: s, sh, th.

Even with a hearing aid, noise can place children at a severe disadvantage. It may not be reasonable to expect a student to communicate easily from a distance, particularly when other students are talking in the classroom.

If you hear feedback (squealing) from a hearing aid, it may indicate that the student is not hearing to their maximum potential at that time. The feedback may be caused by the mold falling out of place, or the volume inadvertently being turned too loud. These things can be easily remedied. Persistent feedback may suggest that the earmold may be too small or there is a problem with the hearing aid.

FM Hearing Aids

Several types of amplification systems are available to help students hear in adverse listening conditions. The type of system most often used in typical mainstream classrooms is the radio frequency FM hearing aid system. With this kind of system:

The teacher wears a microphone and the student wears a special hearing aid. The microphone transmits sound directly to the student at a constant volume, regardless of distance. These systems have traditionally required the child to wear some type of body-worn receiver. The body worn unit is used as the hearing aid or in attached to the child's earlevel hearing aid.

Note: Newer FM systems have been streamlined. While the teacher must still wear a microphone, the student need only wear an earlevel unit. This earlevel unit imay be the child's hearing aid with a small attachment of a specially designed earlevel unit.

An FM system must be set individually for each student. Contact the student's audiologist if you have questions about setting this system appropriately for your student(s) and determining how the equipment should be checked.

Be aware that the teacher microphone is very sensitive and will pick up and transmit all sounds around it, including noises made by jewelry or clothing moving against it.

Remember to turn the teacher microphone off when it is not in use, to avoid broadcasting extraneous conversation.

What About Cochlear Implants?

A cochlear implant is a surgically installed electronic device that stimulates the nerves in the inner ear (cochlea). In addition to the implanted device, the child wears a computerized transmitter to relay sound. An implant does not restore hearing. It is not a transplant. It is a sophisticated technology designed to provide information about sound in the form of electrical impulses to individuals who do not benefit from traditional hearing aids.

As the technology of cochlear implants is improving, more and more families are taking advantage of cochlear implants for young children.

While the implants have been shown to improve speech awareness abilities, there has been a wide variety of benefit observed related to each child's potential to use what they can hear to learn language and communicate based on their listening alone.