- Why are the batteries rusting in my child's hearing aid?
- UGH! Hearing aid batteries are SO expensive! Do you know anywhere I can get them for a cheaper price?
- My sign language skills are really rusty. Do you have any suggestions?
- I'd like to work with my child at home, but there is just not enough time...
Why are the batteries rusting in my child's hearing aid?
Tis the season for sunshine, outdoor activities, rambunctious children and
SWEAT! I have noticed an epidemic occuring across the school. I have had
more and more kids coming to see me with hearing aids that are not working
properly and rusty batteries. The culprit is sweat! The solution is a DRY
AID. Have your child put their hearing aid into the dry aid when they take it
off at the end of the day. The next morning the hearing aid will be moisture
free and ready to endure another day of heat and humidity. It is a good habit
to get into doing every night!
A dry aid is a storage container used to remove moisture from the hearing aid
or cochlear implant. The dry aid helps prolong the life of the device and
improve the sound quality especially during the warmer months. Moisture (due
to sweating, humidity or accidental exposure to water) can cause the battery
contacts to rust, the batteries to die and the device to work intermittently
(turning on and off).
We strongly recommend using some kind of dry aid on a daily basis.
If interested in purchasing a dry aid, one type can be found at
http://hearmore.com/ (search for “mini super dri aid”.)
UGH! Hearing aid batteries are SO expensive! Do you know anywhere I can get them for a cheaper price?
DID YOU KNOW???
Children who receive medical assistance are eligible for a limited supply of
free batteries per month. The batteries can be obtained through the child’s
outside audiology facility or through a pharmacy. If you choose to get
batteries through your local pharmacist, you will need a prescription for
batteries from your child’s physician.
A site that I have been told sells batteries for discounted prices is:
store.hearingplanet.com
1-800-406-3166
My sign language skills are really rusty. Do you have any suggestions?
WPSD offers ASL courses throughout the school year at a cost of $60 per
session. Classes not only promote signing skills, but also provide a greater
understanding of Deaf culture. Sessions are held on the main campus during the
school year on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. For more information,
please contact Joan Stone at jstone@wpsd.org.
ASL Classes are also held at the Central PA Cores Outreach Office located at
3820 Hartzdale Drive Camp Hill, PA 17011. For more information, please
contact Jessica Marks at jmarks@wpsd.org.
I'd like to work with my child at home, but there is just not enough time...
Time is so precious. Often by the time your children come home from school
and finish their homework the last thing they want to do (and YOU want to do)
is more work. Speech and language does not have to be practiced in a formal
structured lesson. A simple conversation can work on grammar, speech
production, speechreading, and vocabulary development. Although you do not
want to constantly correct your child's signing or speech, you can mirror what
they say. This provides validation that you were listening and understand.
At the same time you can state what they said correctly and expand on it with
different vocabulary and a new way to say it. Conversation with your child is
not only valuable to their speech/language development, it is also priceless
time you have with them.
There are also some wonderful boardgames that work on language development. A
few of my family's favorites are:
Scattegories Junior
Taboo Junior
A to Z
25 Words or Less
Outburst Junior