Attending school, especially for the first time, can be a stress-inducing experience for many kids. They have to worry about making friends, understanding their lessons and coming in last place in gym class. Attending school with hearing loss adds another set of stressors, but good preparation can help them feel ready.
Let’s take a look at a couple of easy tips to help prepare your kids for attending school with hearing loss.
Encourage Your Child to Ask Questions
Raising your hand during class can be a nerve-wracking experience for any kid, but hearing loss comes with additional worries. They may worry that their question has already been answered or feel uncomfortable asking the teacher to repeat themselves.
You can help encourage your child to ask questions by instilling confidence and ownership in them. Remind them every day that none of their questions are silly or bothersome. Giving your child the confidence to take control of their education will help prevent their hearing loss from adversely affecting their learning.
Encourage Your Child to Own Their Hearing Loss
It can be challenging for kids to feel different in school. They may initially feel that their hearing loss puts them a step behind the other kids or makes them strange.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 14.9% of children aged 6-19 have low- or high-frequency hearing loss of at least 16 decibels in one or both ears. Your child is not alone in their hearing loss; reminding them of this can help them feel confident enough to own their hearing loss rather than avoid or shy away from the subject.
Teach Your Child About Their Hearing Aids
Hearing aids can locate and amplify speech sounds while reducing irrelevant background noise. The small but powerful devices can help your child understand their lessons and other classmates.
Teaching your child about how their hearing aids work and the benefits of wearing them will give them a little more confidence and understanding to bring to school. Consider making an appointment with their audiologist to explain how hearing aids work and how they should be cared for and managed.
To make an appointment with a qualified specialist, contact Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy today.