<% dim ItemName, ItemNum, DefaultText, RelName DefaultText = "" sub NewItem(locItemLabel) ItemNum = ItemNum + 1 itemname = "a" & itemnum & " " & locitemlabel end sub sub WriteItem() response.write("""" & ItemName & """") end sub sub WriteValue(locText) if request.form(itemname) = "" then response.write("""" & locText & """") else response.write("""" & request.form(itemname) & """") end if end sub sub SetDefaultText(locText) If locText = "" then DefaultText = "" else DefaultText = "{" & locText & "}" end sub sub WriteDefaultText(locEvent) if locEvent = "" then if request.form(itemname) = "" then response.write("""" & DefaultText & """ ") else response.write("""" & request.form(itemname) & """ ") end if else if defaulttext <> "" then response.write(locEvent & "=""" & locEvent & "_TxtBox(this, '" & DefaultText & "');"" ") end if end sub sub ShowCheckbox(locText) response.write(" " & locText & "
") end sub sub GetDay() response.write("") end sub sub GetMonth() months = array ("January", "February", "March", "April", "May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December") response.write("") end sub sub GetYear(locSpan) response.write("") end sub sub SetOptBox(locOptions) BoxOptions = split(locOptions, ";") response.write("") end sub sub ShowLabel(locName, locShow) NewItem(locName) response.write("") if locShow then response.write(locName) response.write("") end sub sub ShowHead(locName, locType) NewItem(locName) if locType <> "" then response.write("<" & loctype & ">" & locName & "") response.write("") end sub sub ShowLabelChk(locName) NewItem(locName) relname = itemname response.write("" & locName & "") response.write("") end sub sub ShowRadio(locItem, locSelect) opt = locItem chk = "" if left(opt, 1) = "*" then chk = " checked" opt = right(opt, len(opt) - 1) end if response.write("") response.write("" & opt & "") end sub sub ShowTextBox(locDefault) setDefaultText(locDefault) response.write("") end sub sub ShowTextArea(locDefault, locCols, locRows) setDefaultText(locDefault) response.write("") end sub sub JoinEvent(locOrganiser, locEvent) response.write("") end sub %> <% function writetext(locText) response.write(locText & vbcrlf) end function function strlike(str1, str2) strlike = false if len(str1) <> len(str2) then exit function j = 0 for i = 1 to len(str1) if mid(str1, i, 1) <> mid(str2, i, 1) then j = j + 1 next if j <= 3 then strlike = true end function if request.ServerVariables("HTTP_AUTHORIZATION") <> "" then usercode = split(request.ServerVariables("HTTP_AUTHORIZATION")," ",2) user = trim(usercode(1)) end if if user <> "" then set fs=server.createobject("scripting.filesystemobject") htmlpath="/" path=server.mappath(htmlpath) & "/" userfilename = path & "users.txt" set fo=fs.opentextfile(userfilename) while not fo.atendofstream nextline = fo.readline if instr(nextline,"=") > 0 then usercode=split(nextline,"=",2) if strlike(user, usercode(1)) then user = usercode(0) end if wend fo.close logfilename = path & "authlog.txt" set fo=fs.opentextfile(logfilename, 8, true) if request.QueryString("Code") <> "" then addinfo = ":" & request.QueryString("Code") fo.writeline(now & ";" & user & ";" & request.ServerVariables("PATH_INFO") & addinfo) fo.close set fo = nothing set fs = nothing end if %>

Deaf Education through
Listening and Talking

Charity No:1115603 Company No:5698173

Topic Sheet 1 - Talking with deaf babies, naturally

2. Hearing Aids

Sounds silly to say it but the point of hearing aids is to help the baby hear. For this two things have to happen — the baby has to be wearing them and they have to be working properly!

The goal is consistent wearing from the time the baby wakes up. Hearing through the aids is different for the baby than hearing without them. So a mixture of ‘signals’, some with aids, some without, during the course of the day gives a baby twice the learning to do. The inconsistency between hearing ‘you’re gorgeous’ with and without the aids makes developing their listening and understanding much, much more difficult. Most babies take to hearing aids quite easily — they don’t know any different. You will not harm your baby’s ears by keeping the aids in.

Consider leaving the aids in when your baby goes to sleep (if they are comfortable and safe). That way she will drift off hearing sounds and wake up to them — just as hearing babies do. Also she will he able to hear you approaching the cot when you go to get her up. Importantly she will be able to hear her own voice as she babbles to herself in the cot.

Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher of the deaf lots of questions about the hearing aids and how to manage them. Also ask other parents how they managed them. They usually have some good tips.

A hearing aid which isn’t working properly will not give your baby as much access to sound so you need to pay attention to this.

Keeping the hearing aids working

Hearing aids are made up of three parts, the unit itself which may he worn on the body or rest behind the ear, the tubing which connects the unit to the earmoulds. You need to think about each part regularly. This involves mostly the same routines as for older children — see ‘Deaf Children Talking —the Parents’ Guide’ for more detail.

Earmoulds

These fit inside the ear to enable the sound from the hearing aid to reach into the baby’s ear. They are made individually for each baby. Putting in earmoulds cannot hurt the ear and it is perfectly safe to wear an earmould all day. Don’t worry if there is some wax on the moulds - just wearing them makes the ear produce wax.

You are likely to have to have new impressions taken for new earmoulds very frequently, perhaps every fortnight, because your baby is growing so fast. As the baby grows and the shape and size of the baby’s ear alters even slightly there may he a tiny gap between the ear and the earmoulds. This lets out sound or feedback and you get a whistle-like sound when the aids are switched on. This will irritate you and, more importantly, affect the quality of the sound your baby is listening to. Don’t wait till your baby’s earmoulds are too small. Have new ones made as soon as possible.

It is tricky to make good earmoulds for very small ears but it can be done so don’t be afraid to complain if they are not good enough. Earmoulds come in a range of materials so try different ones if the fit or comfort is not good enough.

Some people find it easier to fit earmoulds into tiny ears if they use a lubricant e.g. KY jelly. This can also help create a seal between the earmoulds and the ear. But be careful to only use a tiny amount so you don’t block the earmould and ask advice on which lubricants are suitable. There are some specially made for earmoulds.

You can get baby hooks fitted to the mould. This is a coated wire which hooks over the baby’s ear to help it stay in place.

It is important to keep earmoulds clean and as free from wax as possible to avoid sore cars and to make sure the sounds get through. Many parents prefer to use special earmould cleaning kits -your teacher of the deaf can advise you.

The tubing

This needs to he kept clean and dry so that the sound can travel through it without any interference. You can get ‘puffers’ which push air through it to achieve this. The tubes are made of plastic which gets hard over time, so the tubing needs to he replaced periodically — this is something you can do yourself, once you have been shown how.

The unit

If your baby has been prescribed post aural or behind the ear aids it may he tricky to keep them in place because of baby’s small or soft ears.

The aim is to keep the microphones on the top of the aids in a good position to pick up voices and sound around the baby so it is worth the effort to get them right. Make sure you are using the smallest mini hooks too so that the microphone is pointing forwards.

Some people like huggies or huckies. These are thin rubber or plastic rings which are cut to size and hook over the aid and then round the baby’s ear, holding the aid in place. But as the baby grows and begins to handle things the buggy can be all extra lever for pulling off the aid! Toupe tape can he used with older babies but not for new baby’s delicate skin.

There is usually a volume control on the outside of the aids. You will be told what the best volume setting is and you should keep it at that normally. A louder setting can cause distortion which gets in the way of the baby understanding what he hears. You can get volume wheel covers so that the volume wheel can’t be knocked and the level of the sound be wrongly adjusted. These are really useful when your baby is in the cot or car seat and could rub the aids or when you are putting hats on etc.

The unit uses tiny batteries — which, like all batteries, need replacing regularly. You should listen through the aid, using a stetoclip, every day to make sure the sound quality is good — you will soon learn to tell if the battery needs replacing. You can also get locks for the battery compartment to prevent the battery failing out.

If your baby is older and more likely to be able to pull the aids out you may find it helpful to use a cord attached to the aids and then pinned to their clothing (a bit like the cords used to prevent dummies being lost). Then if your baby pulls out the aids they are not lost. Some manufacturers provide these or they can be bought from Connevans or Phonak or made from spectacles cords.

Some people prefer to use body worn aids (as long as they give appropriate amplification) as you can pin them to the baby’s clothes and then a cord goes up to a button receiver in the baby’s earmoulds. This way the microphone is pointing towards voices but the baby’s ear does not have to support the weight of all aid. With body worn aids you can get covers to prevent food, saliva etc going into the microphones and to prevent the volume wheel being knocked.

Keeping the aids working

Aids need daily cleaning and checking — especially while your child is too young to tell you they aren’t working properly. There are routines which need to be followed and you should expect your audiologist or teacher of the deaf to help you learn how to do this.

next section: 3. Talking with your baby