Summer Activity Tips for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Kids

Highlights of summer include swimming, playing outside, fireworks, concerts, family gatherings, and much more!  For Deaf and Hard of Hearing kids consider the following tips to make these fun summer activities more enjoyable.

Tips Before Play: 

• Have a conversation with your child about where you are going and rules and expectations they need to be aware of in advance.
• Help your child learn how to advocate for themselves. Teach them it is okay to let people know they don’t understand or didn’t hear what was said to them.
• Ask for accommodations in advance (like an ASL interpreter, closed captioning, etc.)

• Pack a hearing device case to keep things safe and dry.
• Bring a microfiber towel to wipe off extra sweat or splashes.
• Be sure to have some extra batteries.

During Play:

• Give your child safety reminders about the location you are attending. 
• A mini microphone can be helpful in places with a lot of noise (like a playground or theme park!).
• Talk to staff when you arrive and let them know your child has hearing loss and may need extra assistance to follow directions.
• Use a hat to protect your child’s ears and device(s) from the sun. 
• An ear gear cover on a device(s) can help keep the device dry from perspiration and keep it cool to the touch on a sensitive ear. 
• Remove devices and utilize ear plugs in loud environments (like fireworks or a loud concert).
• Bring your water kits. Make sure your child’s device(s) is programmed for the water and if not, reach out to your audiologist. 

After Play:

• If you live in or are traveling to a humid climate or will be around water, a drying kit can be helpful to remove moisture from hearing devices.

• Make sure to give your child time to rest and recognize that they might have language/listening fatigue after a fun outing.

Summer activities are a great opportunity to practice language while having fun.  They also provide an opportunity to connect with other families with D/HH children to share tips and tricks and give support.  If you are interested in attending a local playdate for D/HH families in Utah check out the Utah Parent Center calendar for an Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) activity in your area. As always, if you would like some parent-to-parent support don’t hesitate to email ehdiparents@utah.gov.