Adolescence is an important but understudied developmental period where adolescents with hearing loss experience changes in listening needs, academic demands, and social relationships. Pediatric hearing aid fitting guidelines do not differentiate hearing aid prescriptive approaches for infants and young children from adolescents. Recent studies from our laboratory have indicated that adolescents who wear hearing aids have hearing aid fittings that deviate from prescriptive targets to a larger degree than younger children who wear hearing aids. This trend raised questions for our research team about the appropriate fitting approach for adolescents with hearing loss. Data from a series of experimental studies will be presented to help provide guidance on optimizing audibility for adolescents who use hearing aids. The clinical implications of personalizing amplification for adolescents with hearing loss will be highlighted.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the fitting outcomes for adolescents with hearing loss who use hearing aids.
- Interpret loudness and speech perception outcomes for adolescents with hearing loss.
- Recommend personalized fitting approaches that balance perception and listening comfort for adolescents with hearing loss.
