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Your hearing healthcare professional should thoroughly instruct you on the proper operation and maintenance of your child’s hearing aids. An initial hands-on introduction to hearing aids is better than many printed illustrations.
Do not hesitate to ask questions, as silly as you may think they are…your child depends on your inquisitiveness in order to promote a proper development of his/her speech and language.
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How does a hearing aid work?
Hearing aids are basically small amplifiers which are contained within a moulded plastic casing. The hearing aid’s microphone picks up sounds from the environment and converts them into an electrical signal which is passed on to the hearing aid amplifier. The amplifier is responsible for increasing the volume of sounds. In hearing aids with linear amplification, all sounds are amplified equally. With non-linear amplification, the greatest amount of amplification is given to soft sounds, which are typically inaudible to the hearing impaired child, whereas loud sounds receive little or no amplification. Thus, when fitted properly, the non-linear hearing aid helps make soft sounds audible and loud sounds comfortable. |
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| Once amplified, a loudspeaker converts the electrical signal back into an audible signal and delivers it into the ear canal. Some hearing aids have a volume control which can be operated by older children or by an adult. This volume control may be a manual lever or dial on the hearing aid or may be controlled by a remote control. Many modern hearing aids do not have a volume control. The hearing aid automatically adapts the volume to your child’s current listening environment. |
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| The hearing aid is programmable, which implies that it can be adjusted individually by your hearing healthcare professional. Such adjustments are typically made once or twice per year during early childhood following a hearing assessment or upon complaints from the child or parent that the hearing aid may not be performing to expectation. |
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 "Dexi’s Care Tips"
We have included "Dexi’s Care Tips" which are ten important things for your child to know about hearing aid care. These tips are presented in a fun way especially for children. |
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How to maintain your child's hearing aid
Your child’s hearing aid requires daily maintenance. The battery, which provides current to the hearing aid, needs to be checked and changed at regular intervals. These batteries may last from a few days to a few weeks and your child may not be able to verbalise that the hearing aid is not working because of a dead battery. |
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| Make sure to store and discard batteries in a place inaccessible to children. The hearing aid should be cleaned daily in order to ensure that earwax does not invade the hearing aid components. |
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| The hearing aid is an electronic device and could be damaged upon contact with water. Therefore ensure that the hearing aid is not worn in the bathtub or in a swimming pool. Much more information on maintenance can be found by clicking the Maintaining your hearing aid link on this page. |
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 Read about one of the world’s most sophisticated digital hearing aids. |
See the components that make up a hearing aid. See how to maintain your hearing aid. Read more about how to operate your hearing aid.
 Read more about the various types of hearing aids. |
 Widex hearing aids are available in many bright colours - making hearing aids more fun and cool for children and teenagers. |
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