Teens with Hearing Aids

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Hearing Aids: Tips for Teens

Adolescence is a time of discovery and challenges. Teens are breaking away from their parents and testing their limits. But they’re also often insecure. These tips can help teens who wear hearing aids.

Teenagers explore their world and test their limits. They’re redefining who they are and spending a lot of time with peers. Of course, this also applies to teens who wear hearing aids, who—in addition to the challenges of growing up—must also come to terms with their hearing loss. Especially now, during puberty, it’s important for them to manage their hearing loss effectively. On the one hand, they must now take responsibility for themselves; on the other hand, they must accept themselves exactly as they are.

8 Tips for Teens with Hearing Aids

These tips help teens with hearing aids reach their full potential, build self-confidence, and overcome barriers.

1) Encourage personal responsibility

Now is the time for parents to let go of control so that their children can become experts in their own hearing. Teens can schedule and attend appointments with the ENT doctor or hearing care professional on their own. This also involves addressing any issues on their own and describing for themselves what helps them hear better. After all, teenagers who learn to act independently are more likely to become self-reliant young adults. If the appointments go well and are kept regularly, parents can step back and no longer need to be present.

2) Just try new things

This applies especially to hearing technologies. For teenagers with hearing loss, adolescence is the time to try out new technologies, strategies, and communication methods. Young people should be able to determine for themselves what works best for them. Encourage teenagers to explore all their options for better hearing.

3) Independence Despite Hearing Loss

Now is the time for teens to take control of their daily lives. For example, a teenager can get up on their own in the morning and get ready for school. Show teens how they can manage this on their own with the help of alarm clocks with vibration alerts and other technologies.

4) Always Well-Informed

Just like other young people, it’s very important for teens with hearing loss to stay informed about current youth culture and be a part of it. What videos, fashion trends, or songs are popular right now? What’s going on? Hearing aids can be connected directly to a smartphone via Bluetooth. This helps your child feel like part of a group and build a sense of identity.

5) Promote Communication

Growing up and developing friendships require communication skills. Teens who wear hearing aids need to learn how to ensure that others understand them and that they can follow along with everything that’s going on. Show them ways to connect with friends and family members. This builds their self-confidence and their ability to overcome communication barriers.

6) Talk openly about hearing loss

Sometimes people would rather pretend they understood something than ask for clarification. Encourage young people to be honest with themselves and with others. The attitude of “Oh, it’s not that important” doesn’t help anyone. Even people with normal hearing don’t understand everything right away and naturally ask for a statement to be repeated. Make it clear to teens with hearing loss that they can take a break when listening becomes too tiring, and that they should let others know if they’re having trouble understanding.

7) Role models provide support

Teenagers benefit from role models—people with hearing loss who are thriving in life despite their disability, such as actors, musicians, or athletes. Keep in mind, however, that everyone must have their own experiences and follow their own path in life.

8) Boosting Self-Esteem

Teasing and bullying can affect anyone, regardless of their hearing ability. Help teenagers develop the skills they need to navigate such situations. Teens who wear hearing aids can communicate to those around them how they’d like to be treated, what their specific need for respect looks like, and what they have to offer.

How can you boost teenagers' self-confidence?

For students with hearing loss, school is often a challenging environment because they can quickly feel left out. Here’s how you can support teens who wear hearing aids.

Find out what your child is good atBe open to new experiences, try out many different activities, and find out what your child enjoys—whether it’s acting, drawing, or sports.
Prepare teens with hearing aids for questionsKids are curious and ask questions about hearing loss and hearing aids. Talk to your child about what questions people might ask so they can respond appropriately.
Prevent the Sunday Night BluesTry activities that distract a teenager from the weekly Sunday night blues. Make your home a positive place full of laughter and joy—for example, with movie nights or walks with the dog.
How about a mentor or coach?Often, someone outside the family can provide the right support—for example, a coach or a team sport that helps with coordination and fitness. It’s important to find someone who is young and inspiring and who understands what it’s like to be a teenager with a hearing aid.
Consider getting a petA dog or cat can be especially helpful for insecure teens with hearing aids and can help them form a deep bond.

Encourage your children to take on challenges—inspire them to try new things and build their resilience. Help them develop the ability to concentrate and the self-confidence they need to achieve any goal in life.

What Teens with Hearing Aids Can Do on Their Own

You’re growing up now. Take control and set a goal for yourself. Start with small steps.

Explain your hearing technologyRecord yourself explaining your hearing technology. Look up information to help you.
Play the recording for your family or a friend and practice explaining your hearing system.
Tell others what helps youMake a list of the factors that make it hard for you to participate in a conversation, such as too many people talking at once, too much background noise, or someone speaking too quickly or unclearly.
Think about how these problems can be solved. For example: Ask someone to talk to you a little away from the group, move the conversation to a quieter place, or ask the speaker to slow down.
Practice using your hearing technology on your own
Take care of replacing batteries, charging rechargeable batteries, and maintaining your hearing aids yourself.
Prepare for emergenciesWhat should you do if your hearing aid breaks or gets lost? Keep a list of emergency phone numbers on hand, such as your hearing care professional’s. They can also remotely access your hearing aids and make adjustments.