The testing a fitting of hearing aids for young children and babies proves to be much more challenging as they can not express themselves the way adults can. Babies and children can’t explain if their hearing aids are too loud or too soft etc.
For this reason, and many others, it is crucial to work with a professional child audiologist when dealing with children’s hearing aids. The professional will consider the volume and fit of the hearing aid along with other factors such as compatibility with other activities of the child, the warranty and the durability.
The professional will also enforce the wearing of hearing aids in both ears for the child. This is crucial for speech development and for safety. Many adults opt to use just one hearing aid. This is not ok for children.
The brillian RECD test (Real-ear-to-coupler) has been developed to test the hearing of an infant. This will allow the actual testing to be done away from the ear. This is crucial because so few children will allow the tube to remain in the ear for the required amount of time. This RECD test has been provern effective for children as young as seven months.
