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Siemens Hearing Instruments debuts its new kid g-ear™ pediatric program to
attendees of the 2004 American Academy of Audiology Convention & Expo in
Salt Lake City, Utah.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 31, 2004 - Siemens Hearing Instruments debuts
its new kid g-ear™ pediatric program to attendees of the 2004 American
Academy of Audiology Convention & Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. Siemens
developed the kid g-ear program to provide children with hearing loss,
their family, teachers and peers with support through the entire treatment
process: from the time hearing loss is suspected in the child, through
diagnosis and treatment. The support and resource materials offered
through the Siemens program are designed to make pediatric fittings a
success and ensure a future of positive development for the child.
"Studies have shown that nearly one out of 10 American children have a
hearing loss termed 'educationally significant,'' said Dr. Thomas Powers,
director of Audiology and Strategic Development, Siemens Hearing
Instruments. "Parents and other caregivers should be well informed about
pediatric hearing loss and the special support that is needed, in terms of
speech and language development. Advanced digital technology coupled with
comprehensive parent education and a greater understanding of child
development can help them adjust to wearing hearing aids and reach their
full potential."
The foundation of the kid g-ear program is the wide variety of Siemens BTE
(Behind-the-Ear) hearing instruments highly recommended for pediatric
fittings, including TRIANO™, PRISMA™ 2, INFINITI™ Pro, and PHOENIX™. The
newest to the offering is the PRISMA™ 2 K, available spring 2004,
specially designed for infants' small ears, with a 312 battery for optimal
fit and comfort.
Compatible with the most widely used FM systems, select Siemens BTEs
include audio input as a standard feature so young patients can
participate in classroom activities. Automatic Audio Input Detection
ensures optimal operation of FM and other devices without manual
switching. Siemens BTEs also feature methods of improving the signal to
noise ratio, including directional microphone technology, FM system
compatibility, multi-channel compression, as well as noise reduction
algorithms.
To help ensure a successful fitting process, Siemens offers CONNEXX First
Fit™ software, which helps adjust the hearing instrument parameters based
on the child's age to configure the reduced gain and output levels
appropriate for a child's small residual ear canal volume. Other elements
of the kid g-ear pediatric support program include:
Hearing Makes Friends Audiologic Guide - Written in easy-to-understand
language, the Hearing Makes Friends Audiologic Guide, for parents,
teachers and other caregivers, explains pediatric hearing loss,
developmental changes, and how positive involvement of parents and
teachers can meet these challenges. It includes tips on how to optimize
the child's experience at home and in the classroom.
Hearing Aid Guide - A tool for parents of children with hearing loss, the
Hearing Makes Friends Hearing Aid Guide is an informative booklet about
living with a child's hearing loss and making parents partners in their
child's progress. Each Siemens BTE hearing instrument comes with the Guide
when the order is specified for a child.
Hearing Aid Use and Care Kit - The Kit educates parents, children and
teens on caring for their hearing instruments and helps to avoid everyday
maintenance problems that can sometimes affect the long-term performance
of hearing instruments. This kit includes a stethoset, screwdriver,
battery tester, air puffer, dehumidifier kit, a combination brush/cerumen
remover/magnet tool and the Siemens HearBear teddy bear.
HearBear Discovers a World of Sound Storybook - This illustrated
children's story helps parents, teachers and other caregivers teach
children about hearing loss and hearing instruments. HearBear Discovers a
World of Sound explains the hearing instrument fitting process, the use of
FM systems, and the reactions HearBear experiences as he wears his first
pair of BTEs. Available spring 2004.
Hearing Makes Friends Scientific Contributions from Pediatric Audiology
Publication - Exclusively for Hearing Care Professionals, each volume of
this important reference tool contains summaries of important scientific
publications dealing with pediatric evaluations and fittings. The articles
are selected and summarized to give the latest results in research as well
as classic papers on pediatric fittings.
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