When you are a parent of a child with hearing loss, it can be hard to learn all new information about what it means to have a hearing loss.
Lindsay Cockburn Au.D. is a pediatric audiologist who is using social media to spread awareness to parents and anyone else who may have a loved one living with hearing loss.
Dr. Cockburn, who has been an audiologist since 2012, says she originally went into the audiology field because of her love for medicine, health, biology, helping people, technology, and creative problem-solving.
“I always knew I wanted to work with kids and initially wanted to be a pediatrician,” she says.
After growing tired of chemistry and calculus classes during undergrad, Dr. Cockburn witch her major to Communication Sciences and Disorders. She thought her next move would be to become a speech-language pathologist, but realized after some years of experience that the job didn’t suit her.
“I didn’t have the patience to see people weekly and wait (sometimes years) to see progress,” she explains. “I started observing at my school’s Audiology clinic and got to see someone’s cochlear implant get turned on for the first time. It was before those videos were on YouTube and it was just as amazing in person! That’s when I knew I wanted to be an audiologist because it combines all of my interests and passions and I can help someone and change their life instantly.”
Tips for parents of children with hearing loss
Dr. Cockburn shares with us her top tips for everyone to know about hearing loss, specifically hearing loss in children.
1) Talk, read, sing!
“Talk, read, and sing with your babies and kids daily,” Dr. Cockburn advises. “The more the better! Kids aren’t born smart they’re made smart by their experiences which are mostly at home with their parents. Don’t just label objects and colors, have real back and forth conversations to help brain development.”
2) Make sure your child’s devices are on all-day
“If your goal is for your child with hearing loss to talk then they must wear their hearing devices all day every day,” Dr. Cockburn says. “Eyes open, ears on! If you suspect they don’t want to wear the device is because of the sound (too loud, too soft, not clear) then keep following up with the audiologist until you get the settings right. You may even need a second opinion. If the problem is with physically keeping them on the ears there are many options and it takes trial and error to figure out what will work for your child at different ages and stages. Don’t give up!”
3) Connect with the deaf and hard of hearing community
“If your child has hearing loss make sure you are introducing them to other people with hearing loss- kids their age and adults,” Dr. Cockburn suggests. “If you don’t know anyone else ask your audiologist to connect you to another family. Watch videos with your child of people who wear hearing devices like them. Read books by and about people with hearing loss. Let them know they’re not alone! It can also help you feel less alone.”
“Everyone with hearing loss can benefit from Remote Microphone Technology,” says Dr. Cockburn. “This is also called FM/DM/Mini Mic/Phonak Roger. Basically a parent would wear a microphone that wirelessly sends the sound directly to their child’s hearing device. This makes speech more clear. It helps overcome the constant issues of distance, noise, and reverberation that make for difficult listening situations. We used to be more conservative (and some people still are) about using this technology with younger children who couldn’t report if there’s a problem. Now that the technology is much more reliable we know that benefits far outweigh the small chance that there may be some technical difficulties. I recommend using it as much as possible at home, in the car, on the go, at the grocery store, at the zoo, etc.”
“Parents are powerful!” Dr. Cockburn exclaims. “Parents are experts on their children. Getting a hearing loss diagnosis can be so overwhelming. Just remember that you’ve got this. Keep loving that baby, keep learning as much as you can, and keep moving one step at a time and you’ll be reaching your goals before you know it!”
This website or application uses cookies. In order to find out more about our use of cookies, please consult our Data Protection Statement. For general information about cookies, please visit our Cookie Policy.
When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
Strictly Necessary Cookies
11 months
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
