Hearing loss in teenagers
Connecting with confidence
Hearing well is more than perceiving sounds. It’s about creating connections to the world around you. Hearing well helps build relationships, pursue passions, access environments and obtain important information. Hearing well also helps with development in educational settings and growth throughout life. Hearing well can also potentially open the door to new people, new pastimes and new experiences.
As children with hearing loss grow into their tween or teenage years, their perspective of needs change. They may become more independent, start to advocate for themselves and may have different ideas for their hearing health care. Together with their parent or guardian as well as hearing care professional, teens with hearing loss can find hearing devices that will help them to continue to create connections at home, at school and with friends.
Solutions for hearing loss in teens
The Phonak portfolio provides solutions – including hearing aids for teenagers -- to help them make the most of their teen years at school, doing sports or simply enjoying their favorite music with friends.
Hearing loss in teens doesn’t potentially affect just one thing, it could impact many aspects of their lives. That is why innovative hearing solutions, which are both functional and comprehensive, are important.
Hearing aids for teenagers can help support them to live in the moment, make the most of their teen years and hear the world their way. Hearing care professionals can recommend hearing solutions for teenagers based on their individual hearing loss, school needs and lifestyle.
Hearing aids for teenagers — an overview
Consulting with a hearing care professional is essential when finding the hearing solution which best fits a teen’s needs. Below are some hearing aids types for teens to consider and discuss with a hearing care professional.
Behind-the-Ear (BTE) - The receiver is not exposed; it’s built into the hearing aid. This makes BTE hearing aids sturdy and robust, durable and powerful. They are also designed to sit behind the ear. Many BTE hearing aids have access to Roger without an external receiver, which adds ease of use. Featuring an IP68 rating, this type of Phonak hearing aid comes in three different sizes. Phonak BTE hearing aids include Phonak Sky™ Marvel and Phonak Naída™ Paradise.
Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC) – These hearing aids also sit behind the ear, but they tend to be smaller and more discreet than BTEs. The receiver rests in the ear, instead of in the hearing aid. Phonak RIC model includes Phonak Audéo™ Paradise.
In-The-Ear (ITE) – As the name suggests, these hearing aids are designed to fit inside the ear canal or the bowl of ear. They are custom built to fit an individual’s ear. Phonak models include the Phonak Virto™ Marvel.
Extended wear – These completely invisible hearing aids are designed to be worn around the clock for months at a time. Extended wear hearing aids include Phonak Lyric™.
Learn more about hearing aids for teenagers and solutions by clicking here.
Telling the stories of hearing loss in teenagers
Looking to connect with other teens who have hearing loss? The Phonak Teen Advisory Board (TAB) was created to empower teens and create positive change. The community was formed in 2018 and built around a group of passionate teenagers with bilateral hearing loss, ranging from mild to profound.
The teens used a wide array of technology and communication methods in their young adult lives, and they worked hard to make the voices of teens with hearing loss heard. Their work during their time on the advisory board included creation, development and advocacy on many fronts.
Some of their main goals were:
- Started conversations within their local and digital communities (i.e., online and offline) on topics that are relevant to other teens.
- Acted as advocates of other teens and children with hearing loss.
- Provided Phonak with their valuable opinion on activities around children and teens.
- Created teen-specific counseling tools and resources.
- Created online, teen-specific content for digital and social tools.
- Tested Phonak products and digital tools during trials and provided feedback and evaluation.
To learn more about these incredible individuals and the resources they have created, click here.
HearingLikeMe
HearingLikeMe is an online community for people whose lives are affected by hearing loss. It works to inspire hope in the face of almost any hearing loss situation through incredible stories and personal anecdotes.
The community brings people together from around the world and includes a No. 1-rated news and lifestyle website, a YouTube channel and more.
It was created for a simple reason: sharing stories with each other is a powerful thing. Together, we can learn to live with hearing loss in better ways, and together we can advocate for more meaningful change.
The HearingLikeMe.com website is an excellent forum for thoughtful columns, informative articles, great stories, videos, tips on hearing aids for teenagers and more.
Some articles of interest are:
• On Being a Teen with Hearing Loss
• How to be an Advocate for Education
• Hearing Loss in Teenagers & Technology for Teens
More articles can be found here.
Teens are encouraged to join the HearingLikeMe community today. Simply visit HearingLikeMe.com, or tune in to the YouTube channel.
The HearingLikeMe: YouTube community
The HearingLikeMe YouTube community includes multiple channels, playlists, personalities and articles. All the varied content stars teens with hearing loss.
Individual personality-driven channels include:
• comedian D.J. Demers;
• sign language (ASL) teacher Mia;
• ‘Chatting About Hearing Loss with Ashley’ and ‘Talking Hearing Loss with Jaime’;
• ‘Raising a Child with Hearing Loss’;
• ‘Cool Hearing Technology’;
• ‘Decorating Hearing Aids’ and more.
Other channels are dedicated to the stories of individual teens, including: ‘A Day in the Life of Teens with Hearing Loss’ and ‘Meeting the Phonak Teen Advisors.’
In these interview videos, subjects discuss things like hearing loss in teens, family support and self-sufficiency, hearing aids for school, acceptance and confidence, pastimes, school and jobs, daily challenges, and the technology which they use.
Featured segments include:
• Musician Finn Gomez
• Solos from guitarist Cole
• Phonak Teen Advisor Isaac Doty
• Canadian Natalie Wilkinson
Teenagers are encouraged to tune in to the YouTube channel.
For more information on hearing aids for teenagers or hearing loss in teens, reach out to your hearing care professional. Don’t have one? Visit “Find a Provider” to find one in your area.