Selecting and pre-setting amplification for children: Where do we begin?

In summary, it is important to remember that children are not just little adults. Although we can look to information from the adult population for guidance, there are some issues that are specific to the pediatric population. In preselection of any amplification system for a child, it is important to remember our goals. It also is important to individualize the prescription as much as possible with information from the child, the family, and other professionals working with the family. Hearing instrument preselection and fitting is not a one-time procedure. It is an ongoing process that will be returned to, again and again, as more information is learned about the child's hearing loss, as the child grows and his/her amplification needs change, and as advances in technology make additional options available. Once the preselection has been completed, the next step in the process, that of verification, will begin. Accompanying articles will focus on this next step as well as on continued evaluation and follow-up.