How to Adapt to Hearing Loss: Tips From the Mom of a Deaf Child
These are the simple, real-life ways I’ve made communication—and living—easier while navigating my loved one’s hearing loss
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Hearing loss is not something anyone really prepares for, even though it affects roughly 1 in 7 Americans, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. That makes it twice as common as diabetes or cancer, and the World Health Organization predicts that cases will increase by roughly a billion in the next 25 years.
I certainly wasn’t prepared when my 3-week-old son was diagnosed as "profoundly deaf," the most severe kind. I hadn’t even been aware that they did hearing screenings on newborns. But in the decade-plus since then, I’ve become something of an expert on living with hearing loss. And that means I’ll be more prepared than most people, should my own hearing start to diminish at some point.
What to Do If You Can't Hear the Doorbell, Phone, or Baby Monitor
As my son approaches his teen years, waking him for school has become increasingly difficult. I’ve resorted to a bed shaker alarm. These take the place of an audio alarm clock and have a large button that can be placed under the pillow or mattress. It vibrates heavily to wake the person, and some are paired with flashing lights. I like the Bellman & Symfon Vibio clock because it’s rechargeable with a USB cable and connects to a phone via Bluetooth, so it travels easily. You can set up to 10 alarms and get incoming phone call notifications on it, too. I know other people who swear by the I Luv SmartShaker 3, which has similar features.
When my son gets older or moves out and lives on his own, he will ideally have some kind of assisted technology to alert him when someone is at the door. Older adults with hearing loss who live on their own can benefit from these devices, too. (In a recent survey from Humana of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, a majority—two-thirds—said they’d rather live independently than live longer.)
Photos: Manufacturers Photos: Manufacturers
Alerting systems have transmitters and receivers that work with your existing telephone or doorbell, using lights and vibration to ensure you don’t miss important noises in your home. You can also invest in a Ring or other security camera with an app that sends alerts to your smartphone or watch.
You can also purchase timers that have a visual rather than an audible alert for cooking or other timed tasks. I’m partial to the Kitchen Disco timer because it’s fun.
In our house, closed captioning is always on all devices, so my son is set whether he is choosing to wear his cochlear implants or not. Many more platforms have begun offering this service, including Zoom. You can also download InnoCaption, an app that captions phone calls in real time and is free to anyone with hearing loss. Otter.ai is another great and free app that transcribes conversations. It can be great for students or business meetings.
Relatively new to the market are captioning glasses (Xrai is one brand), which scroll text across the lenses (prescription or nonprescription, depending on your needs). They use Bluetooth and a smartphone to convert voice to text and live stream the words in front of your eyes. The concept is interesting, but the technology is still new, so it has its limitations. The glasses are still pretty pricey and a little bulky. They may be difficult to wear with hearing aids or cochlear implants, but they are an option for people who prefer them.
For keeping hearing aid and cochlear implant parts and accessories organized at home, a lot of people use tackle boxes or craft organizers. I like this Simply Tidy Rainbow Photo & Craft Keeper because you can arrange them by color. For a more aesthetically pleasing and permanent hearing station, the Meeden Bamboo Desk Organizer is great, though you may need to drill a hole for cords.
How to Communicate After Hearing Loss
My son is bilingual and uses both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). While I’m not yet fluent, I’ve been learning ASL through the wonderful free Lifeprint website run by Bill Vicars, EdD, a Deaf teacher in Sacramento, Calif. Vicars has a library of great resources, including video classes and a visual dictionary of signs. I also use several sign language dictionary apps on my phone for looking up words on the go. Sign ASL is my go-to when I need a word quickly. Hand Talk uses a cartoon avatar to translate phrases. I cannot stress enough how useful ASL is for communicating when you have hearing loss. There are many times you may not be wearing hearing devices, such as around water, in bed, or just when you want to take a break. Knowing even a handful of basic signs can be incredibly helpful.
Photos: Consumer Reports, Phonak Photos: Consumer Reports, Phonak
When my son does choose to wear his cochlear implants, using a compatible microphone system helps him hear more clearly in crowded environments. A wireless transmitter is worn around the speaker’s neck and conveys sound directly to a hearing device, in my son’s case, cochlear implants. At school, his teacher wears it. It’s also been useful when he’s playing soccer and needs to hear the coach’s directions, and anytime we go out to a crowded public place like a restaurant. We use the Phonak Roger Touchscreen Mic 3, but there are more budget-friendly options depending on your needs. You can use a personal amplifier to direct sound to your cochlear implants, hearing aids, or a pair of headphones.
For now, I help my son communicate when we go out, but when he’s ready for more independence, he may choose to use an app like Cardzillla. It’s a free app that provides a blank screen where you can type a message you then hold up for the other person to read. This method allows communication with just about anyone, anywhere. The app keeps the text you type as large as possible while still fitting your screen. That means you can quickly type out and hold up messages without the reader having to take your phone and scroll. This feature can also be useful for communication with people who have trouble seeing small text. Make It Big is similar and allows you to save cards containing text you may use frequently. You can even shake your phone to make the text flash if you need to grab someone’s attention.
If You Can't Hear the Smoke Alarm
I’ve watched my son sleep through car and fire alarms, so I knew getting a visual fire alarm was a priority. I’ve been using the Max One Safety Security Light, which is a great and economically priced plug-in option that recognizes the sound of fire alarms and C02 detectors and then flashes a light. Unfortunately, it appears to no longer be made, although you might find one on a resale site like eBay. Ecolink makes a similar product, but it sends alerts to your phone or connected smart home devices.
Photos: Manufacturers Photos: Manufacturers
Amazon Echo speakers are also capable of recognizing the sound of a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm, or broken glass and sending an alert to your phone. This service is a monthly subscription called Alexa Emergency Assist.
For a more permanent and multipurpose solution, you can use a product like those made by Sonic Alert. These are basically devices the size of a clock radio with a screen that can be linked to an existing smoke or C02 detector and will flash and scroll large text in the event of an alert. They can even be attached to a bed shaker to alert someone with hearing loss. Older adults are three and a half times as likely as the general population to die in a fire, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and hearing loss could be part of the reason for that.
You can also hook up the Sonic Alert to a weather station to receive alerts of severe weather. While a pricier investment, one benefit of these devices is that they can also alert a designated third party, like a neighbor or relative, so you have a kind of medic alert device built in as well.
What to Consider When Traveling
If you use hearing aids or cochlear implants, you quickly realize how many small, expensive components they have: batteries, chargers, wires, cleaning tools, ear molds. I wanted a bag with lots of pockets to keep all these pieces safe and organized on the go. Early on, I settled on a makeup bag by the Korean brand Ithinkso. It has been perfect and has held up flawlessly for years. I like that it has several interior pockets and a sturdy zipper but is small enough to throw in my son’s bookbag or overnight bag.
We switched to rechargeable batteries for my son’s cochlear implants, but for trips where I don’t feel like lugging a charger, or when we go camping and don’t have access to an outlet, disposable batteries come in handy. This keychain carrier is small and easy to carry them in. Disposable batteries can be a poison risk if swallowed by children or pets, so keeping them contained is essential.
When you check in at a hotel or motel, you can ask for an ADA kit. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they are required to provide one. Kits usually have many of the items in this story, including an alarm clock with a bed shaker, a telephone amplifier, a visual telephone ring signaler, and a door knock signaler.
How to Keep Having Fun After Hearing Loss
At home, my Deaf child can be incredibly loud. One solution is to have him stream the audio from devices like a tablet or TV directly to his implants. Hearing aids work in a similar way, but you generally need to purchase a TV streamer, an accessory that allows you to transmit the audio directly to your devices. This helps the person with hearing loss get better clarity of sound and keeps the volume at a reasonable level for others in the room.
When you go to the movies, you can request accommodations. Every theater is required to have some way for Deaf or hard-of-hearing people to access closed captioning. Sometimes it’s a special seat where the captions scroll across the back of the seat in front of you. Sometimes there are special glasses you can wear. But there is always an option, per the ADA.
Photos: Manufacturers Photos: Manufacturers
Hearing loss doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy music. Depending on the type and level of hearing loss you have, headphones may work for you. My son has what is known as sensorineural hearing loss, which affects the inner ear. But some sources of hearing loss are “conductive,” or caused by issues with the outer or middle ear. In those cases, conductive headphones, which transmit sound waves directly to the inner ear through the skull, may be an option. Shokz makes some good ones, including some headphones you can wear in water.
A lot of gaming systems are incorporating haptics, technology that uses tactile sensations rather than sounds to simulate gameplay. This might involve wearing gloves, a vest, or a headset that vibrates, or even sitting in a chair that provides different sensations. These products aren’t specifically designed for people with hearing loss, but they do provide a fuller experience. My son loves them, and I’ve been told that virtual reality experiences are also really popular among older adults. Plus, some research shows that VR may offer cognitive benefits for older adults.
For physical activities, finding helmets that can accommodate cochlear implants or hearing aids can be tricky. Newer helmets have an adjustable dial to tighten the helmet. The brands Giro and Bell make adjustable helmets for cycling, skiing, and snowboarding. Wearing a beanie over your devices and under the helmet may help keep them in place.
Some people try to conceal their hearing devices, but my son likes to show his off. I got him Spiderman decals, and we get comments on them every time we’re out. Stickers not only are fun but also can be functional. If you wear bilateral hearing aids or implants, stickers can make it easier to tell at a glance which is the right or left component. I like the ones from Hearoes (which is such a great name), but Deaf Metal is another fun resource for hearing aid jewelry and retention clips (a stylish way to make sure you don’t lose your hearing aids).
