I received an email from a fellow teacher of DHH from all the way up in Ontario, sharing with me how much of a help I have been. And this was just before I was set up to write another blog entry. If you read my blog, or refer to my website regularly, please shoot me an email at kkeasler@oconee.k12.sc.us. I thoroughly enjoy reading the emails! This way I hope to be a little bit better about posting on topics more frequently. Let me know if you have questions, too, and I can post the question and my answer.
Kids and new hearing aids-not much can get a teacher more excited than knowing students who desperately need aids will soon be getting them. I am excited myself because I know better than anyone the impact they will have on the quality of the kids's lives. I also know the difficulties that come along with them, especially if they are first timers. Aids are not like glasses, which immediately correct vision. To sum up-you can count on anywhere from a few months to a year before progress is seen IF AND ONLY IF the students wear their aids during all waking hours. I can absolutely tell you a positive difference will be noted when they get the aids, but progress only comes later, depending on how much students wear their hearing aids faithfully, and, if you know the stats, it's a shame aids are not utilized like they should be.
What to do when they get the aids:
1) Be diligent in making younger students wear hearing aids all waking hours.'
2) Be patient with them. You still have to face them directly and give them an unobstructed view of your face if they already rely on speech reading.
3) BE PATIENT and UNDERSTAND hearing aids will not immediately correct the hearing loss.
If you are a parent/educator/aid user reading this blog and would like additional support from me, shoot me an email.
