Welcome! We would like to discuss and answer your questions here about hearing loss, hearing loss device technology, hearing conservation, and any related matters. Please email your questions and comments to: info@vancouverhearingcentre.com

Audiologists at the Vancouver Hearing Centre specialize in hearing loss management, hearing conservation, and aural (re)habilitation. We serve children and adults of all ages in the Vancouver area and from around British Columbia, Canada.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Parent/Teen's Zone: Coping with Hearing Loss

As your coping skills increase then managing hearing loss does get easier!!

Here are a few tips:

Attitude is Everything: Our children mirror our feelings. If you, as a parent, believe that your hearing impaired teen is capable of doing anything they want in life, then they too will believe it!

A Supportive Family: Every member of the family needs to help out your hearing impaired teen( aka. parents, grandparents, cousins, siblings, and close friends). Educate your friends and family about your teen's needs. You may have to remind them to face your teen when talking, rephrase sentences, and to refrain from exaggerated speech. When everyone is on the same team providing guidance and support, your teen will become more confident.

Encourage Your Teen: Don't let your teen make excuses they can't do something. Empathize with them, but don't pity them!

Network: Seek out supports. Find other teens and parents of hearing impaired teens and talk. Compare tips, strategies, and stories. If a teen has hearing impaired friends then he/she can share his feelings and feel part of a group. Join clubs and associations for the hearing impaired. Certain groups offer teen summer programs and club nights that are interactive and fun. Find out what is available in your community. Talk to your audiologist.

Educate: You and your teen will want to learn as much as you can about hearing loss, hearing devices and communication technologies. Encourage the use of closed captioning if necessary when watching television. Encourage your teens to read from newspapers, magazines, books, and search the internet for information so they become more familiar with their world and the resources available to them. Encourage teens to email and instant messaging to allow them to interact with their peers easily.

Be Strong:
Fight for what you believe in and don't let people make generalizations about what your son or daughter is capable or not capable of because of their hearing impairment. Hearing impaired teens can do anything a hearing teen can do by using certain strategies and compromising.

Find Hearing Impaired Role Models: Does your teen want to be a physician, lawyer, dentist, chef, or police officer? There are hearing impaired individuals in all these professions and more! Support your son or daughters dreams!!! Don't discourage. Ask your audiologist if they are aware of a professional with hearing impairment that might talk with your son or daughter about their profession.

Advocate: Encourage your teen to advocate for themselves and to be open about their hearing loss and the limitations it causes. Build awareness in the community or at school about hearing impairment. Teenagers are less inclined to make fun of something when they understand it!

Encourage Participation: Teach your teen to be proud of him or herself. Build your teen's confidence with praise, respectful treatment, and kind words. Encourage your teen to joing clubs and sport teams. If your teen is willing to take risks and be a "joiner", he or she will gain the respect of his/her classmates and be treated like an ordinary teenager.

blogger: Sarah Helmel