Tips for Sharing the Holiday Cheer with a Child Who Has Hearing Loss

Although many people associate hearing loss with older people, the fact is, many children experience hearing loss as well. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one to three of every 1,000 children has hearing loss, while other studies have estimated this number to be more like two to five per 1,000 children.

If you have a child in your life who is among this population and has hearing loss, we review tips for sharing the holiday cheer with them below.

Create a Good Listening Environment

Create a good listening environment by eliminating as much background noise as possible. To do this, turn off holiday music and mute the football game on TV. If you can, try to add soft surfaces that absorb reverberant noise like tablecloths, curtains, rugs, etc.

Give Them the Best Seat in the House

We recommend creating a seating chart with the child who has hearing loss at the center of the table. This way, they can follow along with everyone around them. Seat yourself or another trustworthy, helpful adult next to them so that someone can repeat important information to them if they miss something.

Talk About Family Traditions

If you talk to the child about your family’s holiday traditions, then they’ll know what to expect during the holidays. Knowing the order of events can help them look for cues about what’s going to happen next. You can also ask them if there’s any tradition they would like to start, which will help them feel more included in the festivities.

Utilize Assistive Listening Technology

In addition to making sure your child’s hearing aids have fresh batteries in them, you can also add other assistive listening technology like an FM system or Roger microphone so they can follow along with what people are saying more easily. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call The Audiology Offices today.