Many people are surprised when deaf children say that... but it’s wonderful to he able to hear. Deaf children can enjoy hearing too.

But will hearing aids be any use for my child?

Almost every deaf child can benefit from today’s hearing aids. For most deaf children, including those described as severely or ‘profoundly’ deaf, hearing aids will make the difference between living in a world of sound or in a world of silence.

There are a very, very few deaf children who are born with insufficient structures within the car to make ordinary hearing aids helpful. Sonic of these can be helped by cochlear implants.

Every deaf child is entitled to the hearing aids he needs. To deny a child the best hearing aids may he to take away the chance to talk.

So he’s deaf. Why should we bother him with aids?

Hearing aids give a child a chance to learn to listen.., and listening is the way all children learn to talk.

Being able to talk is important. It is the passport to a world of experiences shared with family and friends. It is the way most people work and play together and share ideas and dreams. How can you put a Price on the effort to give that opportunity to deaf children?

All children should have the chance to learn to talk and to enjoy the sounds and voices around them. With hearing aids, a deaf child can share these things, too.

Will he hear ‘normally’?

Even with the best hearing aids, a deaf child will never hear perfectly But what he does hear can be full of meaning. A little hearing makes a lot of difference!

One hearing aid is much like another isn’t it?

There is now a very wide range of hearing aids available and they are getting better ever year. They are now adjusted for each individual child’s type of hearing loss. This makes them much more effective. But it also means that any old aid won’t do.

How do I get the right aids?

Getting the right aids for a deaf child needs careful assessment and expert prescription. The experts at the audiological clinic will identify your child’s type of hearing loss and choose the best aids for him which are then available on the National Health. The National Health buys aids for children from a range of commercial companies: not all children get the same aids.

Two aids are nearly always s better than one, because two ears are better than one, especially when there is background noise.

Not all children in Britain automatically get the hearing aids they need and, therefore, they may not be getting all the benefit they could through listening.

If you are worried and your local teacher of the deaf and audiological clinic can’t help, your Regional DELTA representative may he able to advise on where to turn.

• Some people still think there is something wrong or odd about seeing a child with hearing aids. But the hearing aids tell you that this child is being given the chance to learn to talk and to be part of the world we all share.
• Children should never be made to feel ashamed of their hearing aids. There is no reason to hide them. Let’s bring them out into the open and help deaf, children to enjoy hearing.
• When children are wearing hearing aids, you know they can hear something - so talk to them! Children learn by listening.

'Deaf Children Talking - the Parents' Guide to the Natural Aural Approach' provides more information about how to help your deaf child learn to listen and talk.