Hearing Aids for Children

Hearing Aids for Children: Understanding Your Child’s Path to Better Hearing

Helping you support your child’s hearing health with clarity and care

Concerned about your child’s hearing?

Discovering that a child has hearing loss can be an emotional journey for any parent or caregiver. It brings a wave of questions about development, communication, and the future. The good news is that with early intervention and the right pediatric hearing aids, children with hearing loss can thrive, learn, and connect with the world around them.

Important Note on Service: Miracle-Ear primarily provides hearing care services exclusively for adults aged 18 and older. We do not offer hearing tests, fittings, or direct care for infants. However, some Miracle-Ear locations can provide hearing aid fittings for children when referred by a physician or audiologist. This guide is designed to help you understand hearing aids for children so you can seek the best care from a specialized pediatric audiologist.

Meet with a licensed expert

Book an appointment

Understanding Pediatric Hearing Loss

Hearing loss affects children differently from adults. For a child, hearing is the bridge to learning language, developing social skills, and understanding the world. Because the brain’s pathways are still forming, early access to sound is critical.

Whether the hearing loss is congenital (present at birth) or acquired later due to illness or injury, prompt treatment is key. Pediatric hearing devices are designed not just to amplify sound, but to support a developing brain in complex listening environments, like classrooms and playgrounds.

Commitment to excellence

Join the millions of Americans who have trusted Miracle-Ear for hearing care that’s tailored to their needs.

Book a free hearing test

Common Types of Hearing Aids for Children

While adults have a wide range of styles to choose from—including tiny, invisible options—hearing aids for kids are designed with durability, safety, and growth in mind.

The Behind-the-Ear (BTE) style is the most common and recommended choice for infants and young children.

Why it works: The electronic components sit safely behind the ear, connected to a custom ear mold. As the child grows, you only need to replace the inexpensive ear mold, not the entire expensive hearing aid.
Durability: BTEs are robust and easy for parents and teachers to manage.

For children who cannot wear standard hearing aids due to ear malformations or single-sided deafness, a bone-anchored system may be used. These devices bypass the outer ear and send sound vibrations directly to the inner ear.

For children with severe to profound hearing loss who do not benefit from standard hearing aids, a cochlear implant may be recommended by a medical professional. This is a surgically implanted device that stimulates the auditory nerve directly.

Find your closest Miracle-Ear center

Enter ZIP code

Book an appointment

Change store

How to Get Hearing Aids for Your Child

Because children’s hearing aid options require specialized medical oversight, the process differs from adult care.

Diagnosis: A comprehensive evaluation by a pediatric audiologist is the first step.
Medical Clearance: Children must be cleared by a physician (often an ENT) to rule out medically treatable conditions.
Fitting and Verification: A pediatric specialist will fit the devices using "Real Ear Measurement" to ensure safe and effective amplification for a smaller ear canal.
Ongoing Monitoring: Children need frequent check-ups—often every 3 to 6 months—to adjust settings as they grow and their listening needs change.

Hearing Diseases and Health Concerns

Hearing plays an important role in our health. You may be surprised by how hearing health affects and is affected by other systems in our body, from mental health to physical health. Hearing loss is connected to many other health conditions throughout the body. While hearing loss may not be the cause of these diseases or conditions, it is considered a risk factor for many.

Book a free hearing test Discover more

Support for Families: The Miracle-Ear Foundation®

While local Miracle-Ear centers specialize in adult care, the Miracle-Ear Foundation is a separate nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals who have no other resources—including children.

The Foundation is designed to support families who cannot afford the necessary hearing technology.

Eligibility: The Foundation assists children and adults with hearing loss who meet specific financial and income criteria.
The Mission: Since 1990, the Foundation has donated thousands of hearing aids to people in need, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to connection.

If you are struggling to afford hearing aids for your child, we encourage you to check the Miracle-Ear Foundation website for eligibility requirements and application details.

Don't wait, book today!

Free Hearing Evaluation

Book a RISK-FREE TRIAL*

Try Miracle-EarSPARK™ RIC for FREE*

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

Yes. Pediatric hearing aids often feature tamper-resistant battery doors (to prevent swallowing hazards), LED lights (to show parents the device is working), and compatibility with FM systems used in schools to help the child hear the teacher clearly.

Coverage varies by state. Many states mandate that private health insurance plans cover hearing aids for kids, and Medicaid programs generally provide coverage for children under 21. It is important to check your specific insurance plan and state laws.

Just like adult devices, children's hearing aids work by capturing sound, processing it to match the specific hearing loss, and delivering it into the ear. However, pediatric devices use advanced algorithms to prioritize speech understanding, which is vital for language development.

Because children’s ears grow rapidly, their ear molds may need to be replaced several times a year in infancy and annually as they get older. Regular appointments with a pediatric audiologist are essential to ensure the physical fit remains tight and the volume levels are safe.

Our licensed experts will help you with any questions you may have

Book an appointment

A Message to Parents

Hearing loss does not define your child’s potential. With the right technology and support from pediatric specialists, children with hearing loss grow up to be musicians, doctors, teachers, and leaders.

For Pediatric Care: Please consult your pediatrician or a local children’s hospital to find a pediatric audiologist near you.
For Financial Assistance: Visit the Miracle-Ear Foundation to learn about support programs.
For Adult Family Members: If you or another adult in the family is experiencing hearing changes, Miracle-Ear is here to help.

Learn More About the Miracle-Ear Foundation