Radio aids

A radio aid can help your child hear better over a distance, when they’re in a noisy environment, or when they’re not facing the person speaking to them.

Radio aids are made up of two parts: a transmitter and a receiver.

The transmitter is essentially a microphone that is worn by the person speaking to your child, such as a parent or teacher. The microphone picks up the sound of the person’s voice and transmits it wirelessly to the receiver(s) your child wears.

The receiver is attached to or integrated into your child’s hearing aid or cochlear implant, which picks up the sound sent from the transmitter. Some receivers take the form of a neckloop, which your child wears around their neck, and their hearing device picks up sound via the telecoil inside it.

Radio aids allow deaf children to hear other people’s voices more clearly through unwanted background noises and when they're further away, as the sound source is sent straight to their hearing device(s).

Benefits of using a radio aid

Radio aids can give your child improved access to speech, increasing the amount that you and your child are able to interact, ultimately developing your child’s communication skills. This ranges from babbling, using speech sounds and rhythms, to saying words and expanding their vocabulary.

As they’re particularly useful in noisy places, a radio aid can help your child feel included in conversations with friends and family in places where it would otherwise be difficult to follow the conversation – such as in cafés, restaurants, and outdoor spaces.

Where a radio aid can be used

Radio aids are often used in schools but can be useful at home and when out and about too.

• In a classroom - If there’s a lot of noise and other children are talking, a radio aid can help your child to feel included and hear their teacher more clearly.
• Group work – Some radio aids have a setting that picks up sound from multiple directions at once, making them useful for group work.
• Streaming audio – Most radio aids come with a variety of cables that can be plugged into a laptop, TV, or multimedia device to transmit audio directly to your child’s hearing device(s).
• Playing sports – A coach or instructor can use a radio aid to speak to your child when they’re further away.
• Travelling – Radio aids can be useful if your child can’t see your face while they’re in a pram, pushchair, or car seat. Environmental noises such as traffic and engines would be minimised by the radio aid too.
• Riding a bike – If your child is learning to ride a bike, you can use a radio aid to speak to your child, instructing them what to do and when to stop.

Safety

If your child is under 36 months, we would recommend using integrated receivers or tamper-proofing kits. This will reduce any risk posed by small parts and choking hazards. Although most neckloop receivers incorporate a break-away safety feature, they are not recommended for use by children under 36 months.

We encourage that you fully explore the range of options available with your child’s Teacher of the Deaf to allow your child to use a radio aid safely.

If you’d like to know more information about radio aids and how they can support your deaf child, you can download or order a free copy of our How radio aids can help information resource.