Referral Sources

Our hearing aid services are available to anyone interested. We gladly accept physician referrals; however, it is not required.

Hearing Evaluation

Our department provides complete hearing evaluations for children. If medical intervention is recommended, we will advise you as to the options and have your child's physician sign a medical clearance prior to pursuing a hearing aid if warranted.

Hearing Aid Evaluation

The audiologist will work with you to decide on the hearing aid that is most appropriate for your child. This decision addresses issues of size, features, dexterity and price. Riley Hospital for Children Otolaryngology at Indiana University Health has strong working ties with a variety of companies so that we can offer features and technology tailored to the needs of each patient.

An impression of your child's ear will be made. After fitting, the mold will be sent to the manufacturer and the custom fitted hearing aid will be returned in approximately ten days. Your child fitting will be completed after the hearing aid is received. You and your child, if applicable will be taught how to use and care for the hearing aid at that time. Ten days after the final fitting your child will be scheduled for a follow-up visit to evaluate adjustment to the hearing aid. Annual check ups for evaluation and fine tuning are recommended.

Adjustment Period

Even a perfect hearing aid cannot restore hearing to normal levels. Hearing aids improve the ability to detect speech in the tonal range affected by hearing loss. The auditory system and the brain go through an adaptation period while the brain learns to differentiate speech sounds from other noise. After the brain and auditory system adapt, the ability to discern speech improves.