HASA Nonprofit Works To Destigmatize Deafness For Kids With Stylish Hearing Aids
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — For eight year-old Milana D'Alonzo, hearing aids have improved her quality of life.
"Her hearing loss was perceived to be a behavioral issue, and now that she has her hearing aids she is doing very well and excelling in school," said Cindy D'Alonzo, Milana's mom.
HASA audiologist Cecilia Ward said advances in hearing aid technology is making the devices more appealing.
"It definitely destigmatizes hearing aids, not only are they more fashionable and more interesting, they can pick different colors, add glitter, put stickers on them and also have a piece of technology their friends might not even have," Ward said.
The non-profit, HASA, offers a wide range of services including hearing tests, oral and deaf education as well as support for their clients and families. It is helping to educate families and provide their patients access to the latest technology.
Milana discovered she was hard of hearing last year.
"It helped me hear better than I use to when I didn't have hearing aids," Milana said.
HASA identified Milana's hearing loss and guided her through the process of treatment, which included stylish hearing aids with direct wireless streaming technology that can be connected to a tablet and controlled with an app.
"It's not something we have been exposed to, so it has been great to have them ease our worries and kind of give us the tools and knowledge to help her to benefit her future," D'Alonzo said.
With the improvements in hearing aids' design and function, HASA is hoping it will encourage more youth to approach these devices with excitement.
"If the kid doesn't want to wear the hearing aids it can really impact not only their current access to education but also their future ability to access to education as well, so anything that can get a teen or kid to wear a hearing aid is something audiologist are absolutely interested in," Ward said.
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