Halloween is almost here, and that means you’re getting all your costumes in order, buying bags of candy and maybe planning your trick-or-treating routes. If one or more of the children in your family has hearing loss, you also need to think about how to accommodate them during the festivities.
Let’s take a look at a few tips to help your child enjoy every spooky event this October 31st.
1. Use Visual Cues
If your child has hearing loss, they may struggle to understand others while trick-or-treating or attending school parties. Encourage them to focus on visual cues like hand pointing, facial movement and other body language to fill in context for words they missed.
2. Print Out Cards
If your child doesn’t communicate verbally, print out cards for them to hand to or show hosts when trick-or-treating. You can write “trick or treat” on the cards or include a small note indicating that they have hearing loss. These cards will help your child communicate without unnecessary stress.
3. Go Trick-Or-Treating as a Family
If you have younger children, go with them to the door when trick-or-treating. They’ll feel more comfortable participating, and you might be able to snag a candy bar for yourself.
Older kids may wish to go with friends, in which case it’s up to you to decide if they’re ready. If they’re old enough to trick-or-treat without you, make sure they have a card indicating their hearing loss or are carrying a cell phone to convey information in case of a misunderstanding.
4. Avoid Excess Noise
Halloween typically features nonstop sound from music to noisy costumes. All that sound can cause a sensory overload for anybody, but kids with hearing loss may feel particularly susceptible. To help them feel comfortable, avoid dressing your family in costumes that make a lot of noise and ask party hosts to keep the music volume low. If you don’t think they’ll enjoy going door to door, try taking them to a Hampton festival or community center trick-or-treating event for a low-key night.
5. Adjust Their Hearing Aids
Before heading out for your Halloween night, adjust your child’s hearing aids to suit busier environments. This may include turning on directional microphones or noise suppression, or lowering or raising the volume. You should also make sure the devices are fully charged and clean.
An estimated 34 million children globally have hearing loss. If your child is among that number, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a fantastically spooky Halloween night. For more information on managing your child’s hearing loss this Halloween or to schedule a hearing aid service and repair, contact Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy today.