How You Can Help Your Child on the Hearing Loss Spectrum

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Why is hearing loss awareness important?


 Hearing loss awareness is all about being attentive to the specific needs of children who suffer from hearing issues. It helps to remove the barriers that might be preventing inclusivity and satisfactory social communication in their lives.

A lot of children affected by hearing loss suffer with mental health issues caused by inability to communicate clearly and comfortably with their friends and family. This can cause the development of serious conditions like depression and anxiety. In such a situation, children on the hearing loss spectrum are in danger of entering a downward spiral of frustration that leads to further social withdrawal, which in turn can only deepen the issue. Something as simple as being surrounded by individuals who are actively striving to understand their needs can make a huge difference in their lives and hearing loss awareness is essential for this.

However, by being knowledgeable on this topic as a parent, not only can you help preserve the mental health of your child, but you can also make an informed decision regarding the way their condition is handled. Being educated about the different hearing aids that are available can be of huge significance when it comes to making the right choice. Of course, in order for the proper hearing aid to be identified, a diagnosis must first be established. Unfortunately, a lot of parents are not prepared to recognize initial hearing loss signs in children and for this reason, reaching out for medical help is sometimes delayed. This can complicate the issue further and cause the child’s speech discrimination skills to decline. The deterioration of those skills may lead to the abovementioned danger of mental health issues development due to the communication barrier that starts forming between them and their loved ones.

Some key elements of hearing loss awareness:

  • Understanding the diversity that exists within hearing loss/deafness and how children’s needs vary depending on their specific condition
  • Ability to recognize early signs of hearing loss
  • Learning different communication skills to help make children experiencing hearing loss feel included
  • Knowledge of the different services and aids available for children on the hearing loss spectrum
  • Appreciating the mental health challenges that affected children might be experiencing

Is hearing loss awareness training accessible enough?

An important question to ask here is whether there is enough access to training courses that might help children’s families and teachers understand their needs better. Of course, courses are sometimes made available to the staff of schools that strive for equality and inclusion, but is the current level of effort that we, as a society, put towards hearing loss inclusivity enough?

According to a group of teenagers from the National Deaf Children’s Society’s (NDCS) Young People’s Advisory Board (YAB), the answer to this question is no. They have started a petition calling for compulsory hearing loss awareness training after having continually experienced isolation and loneliness and receiving insufficient/inadequate support from teachers.  

Perhaps one way of directing more attention towards the need for raised awareness is striving to educate as many people as possible about the major benefits it provides.

 

Here at Hearing Aid Accessories, we understand the importance of hearing loss awareness. We know that supporting the mental health of children on the hearing loss spectrum is tightly related to their loved ones’ ability to reduce the communication barrier that they may be experiencing. So if your child is struggling with hearing loss, wait no longer- explore our brilliant range of accessories that can help get the best out of their hearing devices today!

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