The Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic offers management of hearing loss for individuals of all ages through the evaluation, selection, and fitting of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology. When patients are fitted with amplification, our clinicians strive to provide patient- and family-centered care.

Your hearing journey starts at your Hearing Evaluation when you will have an assessment of your hearing and communication needs. If you and your audiologist determine that you are a hearing aid candidate, you will then discuss hearing aids styles and features that are most appropriate to meet your hearing and communication needs.

Your next visit will be a Hearing Aid Evaluation during this visit you can listen to and compare different hearing aids. You and your audiologist will select a hearing aid style that best fits your hearing loss and communication needs. Your hearing aids will be ordered at this time.

Hearing Aid Styles

  • Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids sit behind or on top of the outer ear. An earmold or thin tube and dome tip connect to the BTE and guide the amplified sound into the ear. BTE hearing aids can fit any degree of hearing loss. They are commonly fit to children because the earmold can easily be replaced as the child grows. The BTE hearing aid and earmold are available in different colors.
  • Receiver In The Ear (RITE) or Receiver In Canal (RIC) hearing aids are similar to BTE but are usually smaller because the receiver or speaker sits in the ear canal.  RIC hearing aids can fit any degree of hearing loss and come in a variety of colors.
  • Custom hearing aids are worn inside the ear canal and are custom made to fit your ear They come in different sizes full-shell in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-the-canal (CIC). The custom hearing aids fit mild to severe hearing loss.
types of hearing aids

Tips for hearing aid users in this mask-wearing world