By Jeanne Flowers, MSDE, MS, CCC-SLP, CED, LSLSCert.AVEd with Cheryl Broekelmann, MS, LSLS Cert AVEd
Summer camp is a fabulous learning opportunity for children, and children who have a hearing loss are no exception! Don’t be hesitant to sign your child up because of concerns with hearing devices. “Summer camp, whether day camp or overnight camp, provides opportunities for children to try something independently without mom or dad right by their side.” says Director, Cheryl Broekelmann, MA, LSLS Cert. AVEd. “Sign them up but consider how you prep them….and the counselors. Even if something goes a little wrong, it will likely be a great learning experience for literally everyone involved – your child, the counselors, the other campers….and especially YOU.” When preparing your child who has a hearing loss to attend summer camp, there are a few things that you may want to consider:
• Try to call the camp and speak with someone before the day arrives. “You want to help them understand what hearing loss means, not bubble wrap the entire camp for your child. A little information is helpful for dealing with everyday situations” says Jeanne. For example, provide the counselor or camp supervisors with information about what to do in case your child has a problem with their hearing device. This is a great opportunity to teach your child trouble shooting strategies to try independently, but some problems require extra assistance.
• Empower your child with ways to talk about their hearing loss and the benefit they get from their hearing device! Many times children are making new friends at summer camp, and often children have never had a friend who has had a hearing loss before. Teach your child ways to explain their hearing loss. Also teach them to talk to their new friends about ways to help them hear better in noisy environments.
Once your child gets to camp……
• Make sure to send enough batteries for your child’s device. In order to hear instructions for games and activities or to talk with their friends, they need to have access to their devices. You cannot guarantee the camp will have your specific type of battery and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Depending on the kind of camp, consider sending the child’s personal FM system. While it is not appropriate for every camp, it may be helpful for a child who has to listen to instructions in a gym or while sitting with a large group.
• If your child will be getting wet, make sure to send a case for their device so it is safe while they are swimming or having fun with water. Many devices now days are splash resistant, so the child can keep it on while they are playing in water, just not swimming. Other devices have special cases or equipment that allows them to be used while swimming. Discuss the appropriate options with your child’s audiologist. Make sure to communicate these to the camp and counselors so that your child’s device is not damaged.
• Most importantly, remind your child to have fun! They may have many of the fears about summer camp that other children their age have. Remind them to try new things and to enjoy every minute of the time they have at summer camp!