Outline: Infants and young children with a diagnosis of minimal or mild hearing loss continue to present challenges for pediatric audiologists. The recommendation to use hearing aid amplification for infants with mild hearing losses continues to be inconsistent among audiologists. This population includes those with minimal loss, unilateral loss and conductive losses that are more long-standing. This panel presentation will present current research findings related to children with mild hearing loss to promote a more consistent approach to amplification decisions. New tools will be presented to assist audiologists determine candidacy for amplification. Practical challenges to recommending and implementing hearing aid use will be discussed. Audience participation will be promoted in this discussion so that a variety of ideas and options can be shared.
Learning Objectives:
When I am back to work next week I will:
- Use tools for calculating SII when approaching fitting decisions for minimal/mild hearing loss
- Incorporate counseling strategies to promote hearing aid use with parents/caregivers
- Review currently available knowledge-base on longitudinal research related to mild hearing loss
