The holiday rush is no joke- there are so many events between November 1- December 25 that it could make your head spin! While the holidays are a fun time to connect with family and friends, it’s important to be aware that a child with a cochlear implant needs extra support during the holiday gatherings. Today’s post gives you 5 easy ways to support your child with cochlear implant during holiday gatherings. I hope that this post helps you this holiday season!

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The holiday season is such a fun time of the year! There is excitement, hope and anticipation for the new year, and the chance to gather with friends and family who you haven’t seen in awhile.  However, amidst the hustle and bustle of the season our child with cochlear implants can get left behind in the confusion from the noise and loud voices during such gatherings.

We are in a process of constantly advocating for our kids and their hearing loss needs during large family gatherings, and helping our kids know how to advocate for themselves as well.  Other people forget about the hearing needs of our child with cochlear implant, and it is our job to remind the crowd to be more aware of our child’s needs. With that being said, here are 5 ways that you can support your child with cochlear implant during the holiday season.

1. Ask people to talk one at a time to your child with cochlear implant

This strategy has been key to the success of our kids during holiday gatherings. Children with cochlear implant have to work harder to distinguish individual voices and hear individual words- even if they have had their cochlear implants or hearing aids for a long time. It’s confusing to hear many people talking at once, and the child has a hard time participating in the conversation, which can make them feel left out of the gathering. Remind those at the gathering to talk one -at-a-time so that everyone can participate.

2. Use the mini microphone to help your child with cochlear implant

If your child’s hearing devices came with a mini microphone, now is a good time to use it! We mostly use this in school but it is handy for loud family gatherings as well. At the very least, this microphone will stream your voice straight to your child’s hearing device and they will be able to hear your voice clearly over the rest of the noise.

3. Learn a few signs to communicate with your child

Our two kids with cochlear implants have different levels of hearing. One of them uses just spoken language, and the other uses a combination of spoken language and ASL signs. However, at gatherings we have found it helpful to learn a few key signs beforehand, such as “more”, “yes”, “no”, “please”, “all done”, “go”. In this way your child with cochlear implant can communicate their needs with you even if the gathering is loud or they are on the opposite side of the room from you. This will decrease their frustration level during the gathering. For tips on learning ASL without adding more stuff to your day, read my blog post here.

4. Allow your child a “hearing break”

A child with cochlear implant needs what we refer to as “hearing breaks”. Sometimes their brains get tired from the constant processing of sounds and voices and they need a break from the noise. We allow hearing breaks with our kids whenever they need them, and especially during large gatherings. Just be aware that during the hearing break your child might not be able to hear without their devices, and remind others at the gathering that your child can’t currently hear as well.

5. Be ready to leave when everyone is still happy-ish

Know your child’s limits, and listen to them when they say that they are ready to go. This might mean leaving the gathering a bit early, but you will avoid major meltdowns as your child seeks a quiet place to go to.

For more tips on hearing support at holiday gatherings, check out this blog post by Cochlear Americas.

What are ways that you help your deaf/ hard of hearing child enjoy the holiday gatherings? Let us know your tips in the comments!