Best Hearing Aids for Children
Children with hearing loss should definitely wear a hearing aid. If the doctor proposed that a hearing aid be used to correct the hearing loss, you should heed the doctor advice and get a decent pair of hearing aids for the children. Children diagnosed with hearing loss who aren’t wearing hearing aids will suffer in terms of intellectual development.
Not only will the hearing problem get worse, it’s also dangerous for children who aren’t able to hear properly to hang around outside the house. According to research, the risk of children with hearing loss getting knocked over or involved in an accident are much higher than children with normal hearing capability.
Digital or Analog Hearing Aids
There are many types of hearing aids on the market, making the selection process a painstaking task for some parents if they haven’t had a single idea in choosing the right hearing aids for their children. There are basically two types of hearing aids on the market, the digital and analog hearing aids. Analog hearing aids are slightly cheaper than the digital version.
The rule of thumb is to go for digital hearing aids when it comes to choosing a hearing aid for children. Digital hearing aids are smaller and extremely flexible in terms of amplification capability. Digital hearing aids are also better in terms of sound quality and noise filtering. It’s easier to control the voice level in digital hearing aids as computer chips are embedded in digital hearing aids.
In The Canal (ITC) Hearing Aids
ITC hearing aids are small and can fit easily into the ear canal of most children. They are slightly expensive because of their small sizes and moderate amplification. The ITC hearing aids are not suitable for children with severe hearing loss as its size limits the embedding of powerful amplifier. The ITC hearing aids are best used for children with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Behind The Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids
The BTE hearing aids are the best and most recommended hearing aids for children. The BTE hearing aids are bigger in size compared to other types of hearing aids. As a result, they usually don’t fit in the ear canal of children. The BTE hearing aids are worn behind the ear, with a tube that carries voice into the ear canal.
The amplifier of BTE hearing aids are located in a case that sits behind the ear. Because of amber spaces, large and powerful amplifier is often used in BTE hearing aids. As a result, BTE hearing aids are the best hearing aids for children with hearing loss that ranges from mild to severe level.
Other advantage of BTE hearing aids is that they can be custom designed to match skin and hair color for any children.
Completely In The Canal (CIC) Hearing Aids
CIC hearing aids are the smallest device compared to all other hearing aids. Because of the small size, CIC hearing aids are usually fitted entirely into the ear canal. As a result, the hearing device is often hidden and hardly visible.
Powerful amplifier is usually not used in CIC hearing aids. As such, CIC hearing aids are not suitable for children with severe hearing loss. CIC hearing aids are specifically designed for children with mild to moderate hearing loss.
CIC hearing aids are expensive as features such as wireless and Bluetooth technology is often applied.
In The Ear (ITE) Hearing Aids
ITE hearing aids are in between ITC and BTE hearing aids. As such, ITE hearing aids cannot be fitted entirely into the ear canal and are not worn behind the ear as well. They are usually fitted partially in the ear canal and are visible to other people.
ITE hearing aids usually embed powerful amplifier and advance technology. As a result, they are also one of the best hearing aids for children.
Hearing Aids Consideration for Children
Hearing aids are expensive devices with some pricing over $1,000 per pair. Unfortunately, most insurance companies don’t provide coverage for hearing diagnosis and the devices. However, some insurance companies do provide partial coverage for the cost of purchase of hearing aids. But the policy varies across states. Check with insurance providers such as Medicare, Medicaid and non-profit organizations for assistance with the cost.
