Hearing aids are devices designed to acoustically amplify or make sounds louder, but do not always make sounds clearer. Hearing aids do not fix sound distortions as glasses correct vision.

Think of a radio set between stations --you can make the sound louder, but that does not help you understand what is being transmitted. The benefit of a hearing aid is directly influenced by distance and by background noise. Do not expect a hearing aid to correct a student's hearing.

Not all D/HOH individuals benefit from hearing aids, and not all deaf individuals choose to wear them.

There are a variety of hearing aid types.

·    Ear-level or behind-the-ear (BTE) aids fit behind the ear and direct sound into the ear with an ear mold.

·    In-the-ear or canal aids fit inside the ear. An in-the-ear aid works best for adults with mild to severe degrees of hearing loss.

Some individuals who wear hearing aids have problems hearing high frequency sounds. Commonly missed or misunderstood high frequency sounds include "s," "f," "sh," and "th."

For more information about improving acoustic conditions in the classroom for all students; http://www.quietclassrooms.org/ada/ada.htm.