How To Prepare for Summer Camp if Your Child Has Hearing Loss

If you have a child with hearing loss who is attending summer camp this year, you may feel apprehensive about any challenges they might face while there. Whether it’s a day camp or they are staying overnight, there are several steps you can take to make sure both you and your child feel prepared before starting summer camp.

Five Ways To Make Summer Camp Easier For Children With Hearing Loss

Children playing with a parachute tent outside.

Research camps beforehand. Researching summer camp options in New Jersey and the surrounding areas gives you the opportunity to reach out to those establishments and talk to them beforehand about whether or not they are able to accommodate your child’s specific needs. You can find out if they’ve had children with hearing loss attend their camp before, or if not, assess how prepared they are to offer support and learn.

Share your child’s hearing issues with the staff. Once you’ve decided on a camp, make sure to speak with any staff your child will regularly be interacting with so that they know how to best communicate with your child. It’s also helpful to make sure there is at least one designated staff member who knows things like how to care for and operate your child’s hearing aids in case there is an issue.

Schedule a checkup with your child’s hearing specialist. Before the start of camp, have a checkup to make sure your child’s hearing aids or other assistive listening devices are working well. This can give their hearing specialist the time to make any needed adjustments that can help your child hear better at camp.

Pack hearing accessories. Make sure your child has their hearing aids, extra batteries, a waterproof case for storage and any additional items they need to clean or care for their device. If you know your child will be engaging in a lot of sports or other physical activity, consider packing hearing aid sleeves or clips to protect their device from excess moisture and prevent them from falling out.

Encourage them to have fun! Being prepared is important and allows your child to focus on the most important part of summer camp: fun! Whether they are into arts and crafts, science projects or learning to kayak at Lake Stockwell, make sure they feel comfortable and safe at summer camp so that they can enjoy all the activities it has to offer.

Should My Child Get a Hearing Test?

Data shows us that about 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. Most cases of pediatric hearing loss are detected in infancy, but sometimes symptoms don’t appear until your child is slightly older.

If you believe your child might have a problem with their hearing or they do things like seem to favor leaning in with one ear over the other, call Advanced ENT & Allergy to speak with one of our pediatric hearing experts.