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3 Tricks To Ensure Your Preschooler Wears Their Hearing Aid

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Many children suffer from disabilities and impairments that affect their hearing ability. While surprising to learn, 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children are born with some level of hearing loss in one or both ears. Wearing a hearing aid is a necessity for many school-aged children, but younger students will most likely struggle wearing these aids while playing and interacting with classmates. In many instances, preschoolers will lose or remove their aids while away from home. Without wearing the aid, your child may not understand teachers and friends in school, reducing their ability to learn and socialize. With these tricks, you can ensure your preschooler continues wearing their hearing aid.

Encourage and Reward

Each parent will feel differently about bribing their child, but continuously encouraging and rewarding your young child is an effective way to deter them from taking off their hearing aid. Of course, this method may require some assistance from your child's preschool teacher. Fortunately, they will most likely be willing to help.

Discuss the importance of the aid with your child repeatedly. Make sure they understand how it is essential for learning and making friends. Create a tracking system that the teacher can use to document how well your child wears the aid. The teacher can place a star or checkmark by each day your child wears the aid throughout the entire school day. After a full week of wearing the air properly, reward your child with a small treat.

Tape

If continuous encouragement and rewards are not motivating your child, you may need to use specialty tape to secure the aid in place.

Wig or toupee tape is specifically design to attach to the skin without any pain or discomfort. The tape is connected to both the hearing aid and your child's skin, reducing the ability to remove the aid while your child is at school.

Clips

Another common option used to keep your child's aid in place are clothing clips. Ask your child's pediatrician or audiologist to recommend a clip that works with their specific aid.

Before your child leaves for school, connect the clip to the back of the hearing aid behind the air. A short cotton or vinyl cord connects the aid clip to a clip that will be attached to your child's shirt.

Ask your child to choose a clip in their favorite color and style. Aid clothing clips are available in a variety of colors, patterns, and designs, including sports and animal themes, which make wearing the hearing clip more fun.

Your preschooler may feel discomfort or embarrassment when wearing their aids, but it is a necessary part of their physical, emotional, and educational well-being. Using one or more of these tricks will be effective for your preschooler. Contact a hearing center, like Abingdon Falls Plaza Hearing Center, for more help.


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