In this section
All NHS hearing aids are available free of charge. All of the hearing aids we fit in the Audiology department are digital and come in a range of colours. This means they can be programmed by a computer and adjusted to suit your child’s individual hearing needs. The hearing aid(s) will be set to adjust automatically to suit the listening environment.
Mould fit hearing aids
Mould fit hearing aids consist of a hearing aid that sits behind your child’s ear and a mould which is made for the shape of their ear. The mould is made of soft material and takes about a week to make. They can be made in different colours and with designs or logos, such as football team logos or cartoon characters. Hearing aid(s) can also be personalised using stickers.
Open fit hearing aids
Open fit hearing aids consist of a hearing aid that sits behind your child’s ear and a soft plastic dome and thin tube that goes into your ear canal. This type of hearing aid is best suited to older children as there are small parts involved and who have a mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The benefit of this hearing aid is that it is more discrete and does not require an ear mould to be made.
Hearing aid fitting
Following your child’s hearing assessment, if you decide to trial a hearing aid(s) a hearing aid fitting appointment will be booked for between two and four weeks after the first appointment and will last for an hour. We will check the moulds fit well and make any necessary adjustments.
Fitting the hearing aids
The hearing aid(s) will be programmed for your child’s hearing loss and for the size and shape of their ears. We will then make sure that the hearing aids are not too loud and may perform some tests to see how well your child is able to hear different words or speech sounds when wearing the hearing aid(s).
How to use the hearing aid
We will explain the different controls of the hearing aid(s), how to change the batteries, how to keep them clean and give information about our repairs services. We will show you how to correctly put the hearing aid(s) into your child’s ear and take it out again. The audiologist will answer any questions that you might have about the hearing aid. They will organise an appointment in six to eight weeks time to see how you and your child are getting on with the hearing aid(s).
Hearing Aid Follow-up Appointment
Follow up appointments are an hour long and their aim is to see how you and your child are getting on with the hearing aid(s) and to manage any problems you are experiencing. We may perform some tests to see how well your child is able to hear different words or speech sounds when wearing the hearing aid(s). This helps us gather information on whether anything needs to be improved in fitting the hearing aid(s). We will give you information about what to do if your hearing aid stops working.
Ongoing support for you and your child
We will arrange to see your child at regular intervals to check their hearing and continued progress with the hearing aid(s). We like you to see the same audiologist who is then able to get to know you and your child and the help you want as a family.
We also work closely with the Sensory Support Service for Hearing Impaired Children. The service is provided by Teachers of the Hearing Impaired who either visit you and your child in your home or at school. They provide advice about hearing aids, communicating and playing with your child, advice about school and support in school for your child and teachers. If you agree we can refer your child to this service.