Between puberty and high school, being a teenager can get pretty hard. If your teen has hearing loss, they also have to contend with wearing hearing aids. Let’s look at why teenagers might struggle with wearing hearing aids and how you can support them.
Why Teenagers May Struggle With Hearing Aids
Whether they’re waiting for a growth spurt or feeling self-conscious about their clothing, it’s easy for teenagers to focus solely on what makes them different. For teenagers who wear hearing aids, some of that insecurity may focus on the look and perception of their devices.
While estimates differ depending on how body image is measured, a few surveys highlighted how concerns about appearance affect children at various ages:
- One survey of 11 to 16-year-olds found that 79% of responders reported that appearance is important to them, and 52% worry about their appearance
- A second survey of kids aged 13 to 19 found that 35% of respondents stated that their body image caused frequent or constant worry
Hearing aids are nothing to be ashamed of, and stigma around them is fading. Unfortunately, it can be hard to let go of the idea that your devices are beacons that scream, “You’re different!” or “You’re lacking.” Helping kids work through these feelings and embrace their hearing aids is crucial in successful hearing loss treatment.
Tips To Help Your Teen
Try the following to help your teen embrace their hearing aids:
- Sign them up for social groups. Hearing loss can cause your teen to withdraw socially. Combat this by encouraging them to sign up for social activities, such as group sports or community art classes.
- Join the hearing loss community. Look around Houston for programs that support childhood hearing loss. Meeting other kids with hearing loss will help your child realize how common their condition is.
- Talk to their teachers. If your child needs accommodations for their hearing loss, be sure to inform their teachers. Sharing details about their degree of hearing loss and the communication strategies that work best will help teachers support your child effectively without putting them on the spot or isolating them from their peers.
- Be patient. Your child might lash out or feel sad after getting hearing aids. Remember that hearing loss treatment is a big change that affects the rest of their lives, and it’s natural for them to react negatively to it. Listen to their concerns and offer small rewards, like dinner out or a gift card to their favorite store, when they reach milestones. Offering an incentive at the one-month, three-month, or first-year mark of getting their hearing aids will encourage them to stick with treatment.
- Offer compliments. It sounds cheesy, and your teen might well roll their eyes, but it never hurts to remind them that you think they’re amazing and that you love them dearly.
If your teen has any questions about their hearing aids, we want to help. Call Hearing Systems to speak with one of our device specialists.