As summertime often brings a welcome “break” from school-year routines and structured extra-curricular activities, it may be tempting to veer away from their typical schedule of daily, full-time hearing device use. Below is a list of reasons to continue consistent hearing aid use throughout the summer to cure some of the “summertime and back-to-school blues.”
- Children who are hard of hearing and wear their hearing aids full-time have grammar and vocabulary skills similar to children with normal hearing. Children who do not wear hearing aids consistently, regard-less of degree of hearing levels, are at risk for poorer spoken language abilities.
- Device use increases your child’s potential to “overhear” and learn new vocabulary and social communication skills over the summer, including manners and other social “rules.” This is important because approximately 80-90% of what children learn occurs through incidental, casual and passive experiences.
- Your child will be more prepared for the upcoming school year. You won’t have to “find” your child’s hearing aids and you and/or your child are more likely to detect a broken or malfunctioning device or poorly fitting earmold. These issues can then be addressed before the beginning of the school year.
- Expecting consistent hearing aid use will promote independence and self-confidence. It teaches your child that they are expected to participate fully in family conversations; it is their responsibility to make sure they are gathering and understanding the information they need.
- Current hearing devices are made to be worn under almost all conditions - with state-of-the-art technology to protect them from dirt, dust, sweat, humidity, and even short submersions in water. There is no need to remove the hearing aids for most summertime activities! But remember: Don’t swim with them. They won’t last long under water.
- Your child may be less tired and experience reduced listening fatigue because they hear better when they are wearing their hearing aids. Children who experience listening fatigue may be more irritable or cranky, moody, frustrated, bored, and distractible.
- Your child may be able to hear television, videos, movies, and music better and at softer levels with their devices. During group viewing and listening activities with typical hearing listeners, this may allow a lower, more tolerable and safer volume for everyone.
- Your child may be safer when wearing their hearing technology. They may be able to hear warning and safety sounds better and from a longer distance (i.e., sirens, vehicle horns, fire and smoke alarms),
- Your child may be more likely to hear the many sounds of nature as they enjoy the outdoors (i.e. crickets chirping, cicadas clicking, birds singing, toads croaking).
