Better hearing for child development

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And by creatively challenging the limits of technology, we develop innovations that help people hear, understand and

1 Better hearing for child development Pediatric 0 5 years Life is on We are sensitive to the needs of everyone who depends on our knowledge, ideas and care. And by creatively challenging the limits of technology, we develop innovations that help people hear, understand and experience more of life s rich soundscapes. Interact freely. Communicate with confidence. Live without limit. Life is on /V1.00/ /visu l/fo Phonak AG All rights reserved

2 2 3 Enhanced hearing through technology Hearing is one of a child s most important senses. It has been scientifically proven that without access to clear speech sounds from parents and teachers, an infant or toddler s language, communication and social skills can be significantly slower to develop. Furthermore, if a child is unable to hear effectively in all situations, they might miss out on important warning sounds, which is a danger no parent wants to face. Infants and young children with a hearing loss often struggle to perceive many of the sounds of speech, especially high-pitched speech sounds such as the letters /s/ and /f/. If a child cannot hear and copy such sounds easily, their language development will be delayed. What s more, hearing-impaired children often struggle to identify speech sounds like these when there is distracting background noise and over distances. This can make the problem worse by reducing the amount of speech a child is exposed to and so providing less chances to understand, respond and learn. Luckily, thanks to the advanced Phonak hearing solutions available today, children with a hearing loss can access sounds in all listening environments. Providing the right hearing system as early as possible allows children to perceive and absorb all the important sounds they need to hear from a parents words in the crib to a teacher s outdoor instructions. How does Dynamic FM work? A FM system comprises a wireless microphone, worn by a parent or caregiver, and tiny FM radio receivers that fit smoothly and discretely onto a child s hearing aids. When the parent talks, their voice is picked up by the wireless microphone close to their mouth and these sounds are sent wirelessly to the child s FM receivers. This received signal is then amplified by the hearing aid, providing the child with the highest quality speech sounds possible. The Phonak hearing aids for young children in this brochure all feature our unique SoundRecover technology. This emphasizes those all-important high-frequency speech sounds that your child is unable to consistently identify and shifts these to a frequency where they can be heard. To ensure a child s hearing capabilities are not compromised when the surrounding noise becomes more intense, or when listening over distance, Phonak also recommends adding wireless Dynamic FM technology. This works seamlessly with SoundRecover to create a comprehensive hearing system, bringing clear speech sounds from the speaker right to the child s ears via their hearing aids. This way learning and hearing is optimized, even in such difficult listening situations as outdoors, in the car and in noisy group situations. In this brochure you will learn how SoundRecover and Dynamic FM technologies can overcome every challenging listening situation to help young children hear better and develop faster. We hope you find it useful. SoundRecover Dynamic FM SoundRecover A child s speech and language development is dependent on them being able to hear parents speech sounds accurately, especially high-frequency sounds such as the letters /s/ and /f/. SoundRecover technology inside Phonak hearing aids delivers consistent access to these important sounds, ensuring they are always audible for any degree of hearing loss. Dynamic FM In difficult listening situations such as group activities, in the car and outdoors, there is no better way of bringing the speaker s words into the ear than wireless Dynamic FM by Phonak. This intelligent technology analyses the surrounding noise levels and transmits the speaker s words into the child s ears, helping the child hear and focus directly on what is being said. References: Completed independent research on SoundRecover and its benefits for children can be found at:

4 5 A Phonak solution for every child Dynamic FM transmitters Nios S H20 + ML15i Designed with a child s sense of adventure in mind, the Nios S H2O is a tiny WaterResistant hearing aid.

3 4 5 A Phonak solution for every child Dynamic FM transmitters Nios S H20 + ML15i Designed with a child s sense of adventure in mind, the Nios S H2O is a tiny WaterResistant hearing aid. The ML15i is a design-integrated Dynamic FM receiver that slots neatly onto the hearing aid for instant speech access. Suits: mild to severe hearing loss Naida S UP + ML10i Naída S UltraPower (UP) is a sophisticated high-power hearing aid for children with a severe to profound hearing loss. Combine this with the ML10i Dynamic FM receiver for effective speech understanding in every situation. Suits: severe to profound hearing loss inspiro This highly adaptable belt-worn Dynamic FM transmitter is designed for use by parents or teachers, at home and at school. It is available with ilapel (collar-worn) or EasyBoom (face-worn) microphones. ZoomLink+ This versatile Dynamic FM transmitter features three microphone modes to suit every listening situation and audio input for simple multimedia listening. Naída S SP + ML11i Naída S SuperPower (SP) is a sophisticated high-power hearing aid for children with a moderately-severe to profound hearing loss. Combine this with the ML11i Dynamic FM receiver for clear speech understanding whatever the listening environment. Suits: moderately-severe to profound hearing loss MLxi The MLxi Dynamic FM receiver can also be used as an alternative receiver with the hearing aids above. SmartLink+ This advanced Dynamic FM transmitter features three microphone modes to suit every listening situation, built-in Bluetooth for easy cellphone use, an audio input and a Phonak hearing aid remote control. EasyLink+ This super-simple Dynamic FM transmitter features one configurable microphone mode (programmable by a hearing care professional) and an audio input.

play of friends or siblings. Hearing aids with SoundRecover, combined with Dynamic FM technology, make inaudible sounds audible again, helping a child catch every word a parent or caregiver says.

4 6 7 At home At pre-school A home can be a surprisingly difficult listening environ ment for a child with a hearing loss. Listening across a room for example can pose a hearing challenge, as can the banging of cutlery and plates at the dinner table, the background noise of a TV or stereo, or the distracting chatter and play of friends or siblings. Hearing aids with SoundRecover, combined with Dynamic FM technology, make inaudible sounds audible again, helping a child catch every word a parent or caregiver says. With little ones running all over the place and making noise, pre-school situations are full of distracting sounds that make it difficult for a child with hearing loss to hear the teacher s words. With SoundRecover hearing aids, attached Dynamic FM receivers and the speaker wearing a Phonak FM transmitter however, the same child can easily focus on the teacher s words without becoming confused or tired. This complete hearing solution boosts a child s confidence to communicate and socialize with other children. Additional microphones DynaMic or additional inspiro transmitters can be used in pre-schools when more than one teacher and/or child is taking turns to talk.

8 9 At play and outdoors In the car Playgrounds and parks are great fun for kids, but they are not always the easiest hearing situations for those with a hearing loss.

Even when it is time to head home, a pram, stroller or backpack journey can be a difficult listening test due to wind noise and the child facing away from their parent.

When a young child is sat in the back, the parent s voice is always travelling away from them, plus there are no visual (facial) cues available and there is also road noise confusing the mix of

5 8 9 At play and outdoors In the car Playgrounds and parks are great fun for kids, but they are not always the easiest hearing situations for those with a hearing loss. There is the background noise of other children playing and nearby road noise to contend with. Even when it is time to head home, a pram, stroller or backpack journey can be a difficult listening test due to wind noise and the child facing away from their parent. No matter how much time a family spends in the car, family communication is almost impossible if the child cannot hear their parents speak. When a young child is sat in the back, the parent s voice is always travelling away from them, plus there are no visual (facial) cues available and there is also road noise confusing the mix of sounds. SoundRecover and Dynamic FM hearing technologies effectively eliminate these barriers to communication, making conversation just as direct and personal as face-to-face chat. This is essential during the critical period of speech and language development. With SoundRecover and Dynamic FM these distractions and challenges are no longer an issue. The child hears the adult s words, whatever the level of background chaos and whichever direction the child is facing.

10 11 Enjoying multimedia On the phone Children whom are old enough to enjoy cartoons, music and computer games should be able to hear them a distance from the TV or when background noise is around

directly in their ears through their hearing aids. This ensures they get the most out of their multimedia.

6 10 11 Enjoying multimedia On the phone Children whom are old enough to enjoy cartoons, music and computer games should be able to hear them a distance from the TV or when background noise is around them. With a Dynamic FM transmitter plugged into the TV, stereo or computer, using just a basic audio cable, and receivers attached to a child s hearing aids, they can hear their entertainment audio directly in their ears through their hearing aids. This ensures they get the most out of their multimedia. Once a child starts to communicate, phone calls with parents, grandparents and other relatives are an important part of their development. However for a child with a hearing loss who wears only hearing aids, such calls can still be difficult, particularly if the room the child is in is not totally silent. The SmartLink+ Dynamic FM transmitter by Phonak can be paired to any cellphone or landline phone that features Bluetooth, allowing the child to hear the phone call directly in their ears and making it much easier to follow what is being said.

12 13 Playing sports WaterResistant housing for an active childhood The water and dust resistant housing of Phonak s hearing aids, coupled with Dynamic FM designintegrated

The Phonak solution is perfect for activities, such as playing with friends at the beach, splashing in a puddle, enjoying sports or having fun at bath time.

The ongoing shouts of teammates and competitors can make picking out and understanding the right phrases very tricky for a hearingimpaired child.

7 12 13 Playing sports WaterResistant housing for an active childhood The water and dust resistant housing of Phonak s hearing aids, coupled with Dynamic FM designintegrated receivers, allows children to actively explore the world around them. The Phonak solution is perfect for activities, such as playing with friends at the beach, splashing in a puddle, enjoying sports or having fun at bath time. Sports lessons, training sessions and competitive matches are full of audio commands and clues, from whistle blows and referee calls to instructor commands. The ongoing shouts of teammates and competitors can make picking out and understanding the right phrases very tricky for a hearingimpaired child. This challenge is even more difficult if helmets are being worn, yet should the child fail to hear one of these important signals, this can lead to mis un der stan ding, confusion and sometimes embar ra s sment. With SoundRecover and Dynamic FM such misunderstandings become a thing of the past, improving both a child s performance and enjoyment of their sport.

14 15 Loved by children and parents alike Useful links Learn more about SoundRecover at http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/products/ hearing_instruments/features.

It s beneficial in the car, when I m in another room, during sing-songs and family dinners. He reacts much better when you re speaking to him and are wearing it.

8 14 15 Loved by children and parents alike Useful links Learn more about SoundRecover at hearing_instruments/features.html Learn more about Dynamic FM at Check out our movies at My son Noah has been using Phonak FM for a year now. It s beneficial in the car, when I m in another room, during sing-songs and family dinners. He reacts much better when you re speaking to him and are wearing it. If you re singing a song and he is repeating after you, it is much clearer with the FM. He also hears instructions better. If he is in the next room and I say, Noah bring mummy the book!, he will bring it, instead of me having to shout or use more gestures. FM means he doesn t miss out on anything and that has really made a difference to his confidence Claire Warburton Charlotte (2 yrs, 10 months) has been using FM every day for 10 months and it has been a big help. It s a very noisy world and for a child with a hearing loss, it s quite difficult to pick up speech in this much noise. What the FM does is it focuses for them. In a nursery environment for example, where you have a lot of children s chatter and echoing rooms, it means Charlotte has been able to hear other children s voices better and her communication has improved from there. Plus she has more friends because she can talk back to them and communicate better. When she started nursery, we had to have signing, but using the FM she s come such a long way from there and is now on average with her peers communication-wise. The FM has really made a significant difference Alyson Grayson Like us at Follow us on

Hear better at work. Life is on.

Hear better at work. Life is on. Hear better at work Life is on We are sensitive to the needs of everyone who depends on our knowledge, ideas and care. And by creatively challenging the limits of technology, we develop innovations that