Baha
- Group Forums
Group Statistics
299 Members.
33 Blog Posts.
5 Files.
112 Discussions.
You are a Member.
Please log in.
CommentAuthorclaensung
CommentTime Sep 13th 2009
Bradensmom
I see you wrote your message back in June so you may not be looking for more information, or you may already have your answer, but heres my two cents just in case:
When I was in school I had a hard time due to my hearing loss. Not only academically, but socially. Countless times I missed directions, or friends were mad at me because as I was walking down the halls I ignored them because I didn't hear them calling my name. Your son is old enough to help make this decision. Have him wear the band for awhile and ask him what he thinks. Take him out to a noisy place like a restaurant, talk to him from another room...etc. Then together decide what he thinks. If he doesn't want it now bring it up to him when he gets older...it may not bug him as much now as it would when he's older (when he realizes the extent his hearing loss affects him). Anyways...as far as the confidence goes I think the younger he gets it the more confidence he will have because he will be more used to it as a part of him...if he's older he may say no just because he doesn't want people to notice it.
I see you wrote your message back in June so you may not be looking for more information, or you may already have your answer, but heres my two cents just in case:
When I was in school I had a hard time due to my hearing loss. Not only academically, but socially. Countless times I missed directions, or friends were mad at me because as I was walking down the halls I ignored them because I didn't hear them calling my name. Your son is old enough to help make this decision. Have him wear the band for awhile and ask him what he thinks. Take him out to a noisy place like a restaurant, talk to him from another room...etc. Then together decide what he thinks. If he doesn't want it now bring it up to him when he gets older...it may not bug him as much now as it would when he's older (when he realizes the extent his hearing loss affects him). Anyways...as far as the confidence goes I think the younger he gets it the more confidence he will have because he will be more used to it as a part of him...if he's older he may say no just because he doesn't want people to notice it.
CommentAuthorLiz
CommentTime Sep 4th 2009
Bradensmom
Having had progressive hearing loss starting as a child... i can remember doing speech therapy in elementary school...I think the baha early on would help him in many ways. I often am and was embarassed growing up when i would answer questions inappropriately because i didn't hear the question properly or i just guessed what was asked because i didn't want to let people know i couldn't hear. I always had to be placed in the front of the class so i could hear, and often felt different because of the "special" treatment i had to recieve secondary to my loss. When i turned 18 i developed a cholesteotoma which further hampered my hearing and then had to have special accomodations in Nursing school to pass certain rotations ( In the OR where they wear masks i had to have my instructor point to the instruments because without seeing their lips i couldn't hear what they were asking for).
As far as the stigma of wearing the device...that one is a little harder to answer...the box is small and the kids tend to wear their hair a little longer now, but if it helps him hear he may not care so much.
I am actually getting my processor today and can't wait to hear what i have been missing all these years. BAHA wasn't available for me growing up....i wish it had been.
Good luck
Having had progressive hearing loss starting as a child... i can remember doing speech therapy in elementary school...I think the baha early on would help him in many ways. I often am and was embarassed growing up when i would answer questions inappropriately because i didn't hear the question properly or i just guessed what was asked because i didn't want to let people know i couldn't hear. I always had to be placed in the front of the class so i could hear, and often felt different because of the "special" treatment i had to recieve secondary to my loss. When i turned 18 i developed a cholesteotoma which further hampered my hearing and then had to have special accomodations in Nursing school to pass certain rotations ( In the OR where they wear masks i had to have my instructor point to the instruments because without seeing their lips i couldn't hear what they were asking for).
As far as the stigma of wearing the device...that one is a little harder to answer...the box is small and the kids tend to wear their hair a little longer now, but if it helps him hear he may not care so much.
I am actually getting my processor today and can't wait to hear what i have been missing all these years. BAHA wasn't available for me growing up....i wish it had been.
Good luck
CommentAuthoremmy1808
CommentTime Sep 3rd 2009
Bradensmom,
Hi, my name is Amber and my dausghter is 16 months old and is also deaf in one ear. we are looking into gettting her the BAHA on a softband since she is too young for the surgery. But i have thought, down the raod, how difficult it would be to make that decision for her. Our ENT said to us that she would not need a BAHA because her speech will devlop fine with one hearing ear. What the heck!! I didn't realize that they only fitted people with hearing devices so they don't talk funny!!! I really feel as if we are always being brushed to the side because she has one hearing ear. Needless to say we switched doctors. Our plan is to try it on the softband and go from there. Your son is six and he will be able to tell you weather it really helps him or not. Its worth looking into and trying. Good Luck.
Hi, my name is Amber and my dausghter is 16 months old and is also deaf in one ear. we are looking into gettting her the BAHA on a softband since she is too young for the surgery. But i have thought, down the raod, how difficult it would be to make that decision for her. Our ENT said to us that she would not need a BAHA because her speech will devlop fine with one hearing ear. What the heck!! I didn't realize that they only fitted people with hearing devices so they don't talk funny!!! I really feel as if we are always being brushed to the side because she has one hearing ear. Needless to say we switched doctors. Our plan is to try it on the softband and go from there. Your son is six and he will be able to tell you weather it really helps him or not. Its worth looking into and trying. Good Luck.
CommentAuthorBahaMom
CommentTime Sep 3rd 2009
Hi Braden's Mom!
I have a 6 year old son who received his BAHA implant this year, and has successfully been wearing it since mid/late July.
My son has a bilateral conductive hearing loss, somewhat different then single sided deafness, so there was no question in my mind about the BAHA. My son had been wearing a different hearing aid from about 3 months old, so he was quite used to having help hearing.
Since you've already pointed out the flaw in your ENT's opinion on the quality of your son's life with one hearing ear, you realize the importance in having two. If your ultimate goal is like mine - to restore hearing in your child - then the BAHA is the way to go.
The surgeries themselves are a piece of cake!(In adults, it's usually done in one procedure, but in children usually two, unless the skull thickness is sufficient). You'd never guess my son had any kind of surgery by the next day, I am not kidding you. Having said that however, each child is different, and may react differently to the whole experience.
I also agree with trying out the softband BAHA, it's not the same as the actual implant, but it will definitely give your son a good idea of what it's like to have hearing and better localization from that ear. I doubt he'll complain about being able to hear - but he may not like having the band on, or feeling pressure from the BAHA. I think at that point, you could explain how having the implant done would eliminate the need for the band, but still give him all the benefits of the BAHA.
As far as self-confidence goes, I think ultimately your son would have a harder time adjusting socially/academically with one ear compared to a hearing aid (which is easily concealed by his hair). The bottom line is, your son has this hearing loss, and it's up to you as his parent to teach him to advocate for himself and not worry about wearing a hearing aid. Children mimic a lot from parents, so your approach is so important. There are professionals in the school who would make the transition easier for him, and would help his classmates understand what hearing is, and why some people need help, just like some kids need glasses to see better, etc.
If you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask!
I have a 6 year old son who received his BAHA implant this year, and has successfully been wearing it since mid/late July.
My son has a bilateral conductive hearing loss, somewhat different then single sided deafness, so there was no question in my mind about the BAHA. My son had been wearing a different hearing aid from about 3 months old, so he was quite used to having help hearing.
Since you've already pointed out the flaw in your ENT's opinion on the quality of your son's life with one hearing ear, you realize the importance in having two. If your ultimate goal is like mine - to restore hearing in your child - then the BAHA is the way to go.
The surgeries themselves are a piece of cake!(In adults, it's usually done in one procedure, but in children usually two, unless the skull thickness is sufficient). You'd never guess my son had any kind of surgery by the next day, I am not kidding you. Having said that however, each child is different, and may react differently to the whole experience.
I also agree with trying out the softband BAHA, it's not the same as the actual implant, but it will definitely give your son a good idea of what it's like to have hearing and better localization from that ear. I doubt he'll complain about being able to hear - but he may not like having the band on, or feeling pressure from the BAHA. I think at that point, you could explain how having the implant done would eliminate the need for the band, but still give him all the benefits of the BAHA.
As far as self-confidence goes, I think ultimately your son would have a harder time adjusting socially/academically with one ear compared to a hearing aid (which is easily concealed by his hair). The bottom line is, your son has this hearing loss, and it's up to you as his parent to teach him to advocate for himself and not worry about wearing a hearing aid. Children mimic a lot from parents, so your approach is so important. There are professionals in the school who would make the transition easier for him, and would help his classmates understand what hearing is, and why some people need help, just like some kids need glasses to see better, etc.
If you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask!
CommentAuthorFran S. - Cochlear Volunteer (Baha)
CommentTime Jul 3rd 2009
Bradensmom,
If your son is having difficulties with his daily activities and, especially social interactions, you might consider trying the Baha with a band instead of the surgery. I was in college by the time I lost my hearing in one ear and it was difficult to adjust. Sometimes I had no idea what was going on in a social situation which made for even more difficulty and social awkwardness.
I have heard of many parents who try out the BAHA band with their children at home for a weekend (see if the ENT will let you borrow one for the weekend) and they see a dramatic difference in their child's social interactions. They get much more involved in family situations, they appear to have more energy, and they are much more verbal. From personal experience, I can tell you that going to school without hearing in one ear required me to work at least 10 times harder than my classmates to try to hear. It continued until I got the BAHA. Now I can hear more like any other person does.
Feel free to private message me if you have more questions.
If your son is having difficulties with his daily activities and, especially social interactions, you might consider trying the Baha with a band instead of the surgery. I was in college by the time I lost my hearing in one ear and it was difficult to adjust. Sometimes I had no idea what was going on in a social situation which made for even more difficulty and social awkwardness.
I have heard of many parents who try out the BAHA band with their children at home for a weekend (see if the ENT will let you borrow one for the weekend) and they see a dramatic difference in their child's social interactions. They get much more involved in family situations, they appear to have more energy, and they are much more verbal. From personal experience, I can tell you that going to school without hearing in one ear required me to work at least 10 times harder than my classmates to try to hear. It continued until I got the BAHA. Now I can hear more like any other person does.
Feel free to private message me if you have more questions.
CommentAuthorMedalist
CommentTime Jun 29th 2009
This is a difficult decision.
If you son can function within his world and has adapted well, then you might want to wait until he is old enough to make the decision either on his own or with the assistance of his parents. I believe there is a certain amount of maturity that plays in to making the decision since there is somewhat of a stigma to wearing a medical device, of which the BAHA is.
If the BAHA would help him function in his world, and the issue is really abuot the surgery, then I would not really worry about the surgery aspect. It was a very simple surgery and the long-term benefits would seem to outweigh and surgical concerns. He will be permanently changed by the operation and it is a lifetime commitment.
I would say if he is doing fine and has adapted to his hearing deficit, then wait for awhile until he is older so that both he and you, as parents, can make a joint decision, looking at both the pros and cons.
If you son can function within his world and has adapted well, then you might want to wait until he is old enough to make the decision either on his own or with the assistance of his parents. I believe there is a certain amount of maturity that plays in to making the decision since there is somewhat of a stigma to wearing a medical device, of which the BAHA is.
If the BAHA would help him function in his world, and the issue is really abuot the surgery, then I would not really worry about the surgery aspect. It was a very simple surgery and the long-term benefits would seem to outweigh and surgical concerns. He will be permanently changed by the operation and it is a lifetime commitment.
I would say if he is doing fine and has adapted to his hearing deficit, then wait for awhile until he is older so that both he and you, as parents, can make a joint decision, looking at both the pros and cons.
CommentAuthorBradensmom
CommentTime Jun 18th 2009
I am very interested in the BAHA surgery for my son who is 6 years old. But the problem is should I make this decision for him. I have read many stories of people getting this in there 30s and older but not many with kids. He had to wear a hearing aid for a short time and it really affected him. He is a very sensitive child and I would not want to be the cause of any more pain for him! Should we keep this as an option for when he is older or do you think it would be of great benefit for him to get it now. His ENT thinks he will have a perfectly normal life with one good ear but he doesn't see the affects that we see when he is on the playground or at an amusement park or playing baseball. I just want to make sure we are doing him good rather than harm. I know we have to make this decision but I would like some of your opinions, if some of you had gotten it when you were younger how do think it would have changed your life good or bad? I can see the hearing benefits from it but what about the negative emotional issues? I would hate for him to loss self confidence, or for him to become isolated from others because he has thing device- help
1 to 7 of 7