HEARING LOSS BASICS

Types of Hearing Devices

All students at MOSD utilize hearing devices specifically programmed and serviced to meet their unique hearing needs. There are three main types of device used at MOSD.

Behind-the-ear (B.T.E.] Hearing Aids

Probably the most recognizable form of amplification, a BTE (behind-the-ear) device is what many people think of when they hear the term "hearing aid". BTE's use digital processing to collect sound and project it into the ear canal. They can be programmed to amplify specific frequencies depending on which ranges are affected by the wearer's hearing loss, and modern hearing aids include systems to decrease feedback and minimize excessive background noise.

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids (B.A.H.A.)

Bone-anchored hearing aids, or BAHA's, are used by children with conductive hearing loss, and utilize the resonant capabilities of the skull to transmit sound rather than the ear canal. In young children, BAHA's are more commonly worn on a soft band around the wearer's head, but are typically implanted in one or both ears after the age of five.

Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices that bypass the damaged cochlea, a portion of the inner ear, and transmit electric signals directly to the auditory nerve tissue. This allows children who are profoundly deaf to recognize even softly spoken speech. Users wear an external microphone, a sound processor, and a transmitter coil which connects via magnet to the inner portion of the device. Cochlear devices can be implanted in one or both ears.