My sons hearing has a plateau, he struggles to hear low frequencys and background noise is an issue. He has been using a personal listening system on a borrowed basis until we received his recent hearing results, after his last surgery.
Does anyone have background information that would be helpful during his IEP. I have searched the net and the information I have found, in my opinion, are for kids with severe hearing lost. I would love any suggestions. Thank you
Re: FM or personal listening devices
Check with your school’s speech and language pathologist-I bet he/she could guide you in the right direction.
Re: FM or personal listening devices
Does your son wear hearing aids currently?
My 5th grade daughter has a mild-to-moderate hearing loss and wears personal hearing aids while at home and uses a FM system while at school. She does hear more of the instruction using the FM system, compared to her hearing aids alone.
If you don’t have the hearing test results in hand then it may be hard to put anything into the IEP about a FM system.
-Kim
Re: FM or personal listening devices
My son is unable to follow the teacher when they roam around the room. It is being recommended by the ENT, audiologist, and the hearing impaired specialist. I just didn’t know if there is anything else I should be aware of.
We recently had hope that our last surgery would have corrected my son’s hearing problems. Unfortunately, nothing has changed. I am grieving this loss. So, although the school is telling me, to get this done so it is in place next year. I am not emotionally ready and I didn’t know if there was anything that I should be doing or requesting other than what I have done. If you have anything else, you could add I would appreciate it.
I am under the assumption that this would be just added technology to his IEP. This would have not effect on his goals.
Appreicate all your help..
Re: FM or personal listening devices
Hi,
I am an SLP and I just happen to have a hearing impairment in the low frequencies and my 3 kids do too. All 4 of us have a reverse slope hearing loss. I can relate to what you are going through emotionally in regards to his hearing loss, but believe me it isn’t the end of the world either. Yes we struggle with the lows but we get the clarity of speech becuase we can hear the high sounds…and we can compensate for the lows we can’t hear with amplification.
I am an SLP working in a field which many people thought was impossible because of my hearing impairment, I proved them wrong… We are only limited by the limts we place on ourselves. That is something I have taught all my kids and those that I work with.
If he has an audiogram that shows he has a hearing loss then he is entitled to an assistive listening device. You will be responsible for the hearing aids however, but sometimes children services can foot the bill for those and also aural rehabilitation if needed.
My 14 year old daughter is entitled to an FM device in school, it is written up as assistive technology. She doesn’t use it as much as she used to because she is self-conscious about the device but the hearing aid she wouldn’t be caught dead without. She sits up in the front of the room and advocates for herself now.
Re: FM or personal listening devices
Pattim -
Thank you for your words of wisdom. I think, I put so much energy and hope into his last surgery, when I was told that it had a 85% chance to correct all of his hearing. But, there was no significant change. I look at that scar behind his ear and think, was it worth it. I know that we did the best we could with the information we were given at the time.
A hearing aid has not been recommended, from what the HI specialist said, it wasn’t that severe.
I certainly appreciate your comments. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Thanks again.
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My school system uses many personal FM systems as well as whole room sound field systems. Many of my students who do not have hearing “loss” use them because of auditory processing. After diagnosing a child with auditory processing, an audiologist may advise for a personal FM system or a whole class system. It depends on the part of the brain that is being affected as to which is needed. If it is working for your child, request one at the IEP. If the audiologist recommends a sound field system for the classroom, you can also request that. Then it would move with your child through the grade levels. We have experienced so much success at our school with them, we are slowly putting the classroom version in all grade levels. All of our 5th, 4th, and specials have them. We are working on getting them for the other grades as well. They are wonderful! But check with your audiologist to see which is advised.