This Is How I Hear: The Best Children's Book About Hearing Aids and Hearing Loss
Are you looking for a children's book about hearing aids that is inclusive, educational, and relatable? Whether your child is hard of hearing, wears hearing aids, or simply wants to learn about differences in others, This Is How I Hear is the perfect read-aloud to support understanding and acceptance or prepare your child for their hearing aid journey!
Book Cover for This Is How I Hear: a book about needing hearing aids. Image: Toddler boy smiling with blue hearing aids, side profile
Why We Created a Book About Hearing Aids for Kids
When a child needs hearing aids, it can be a big adjustment—for the child, their family, and their peers. Yet there are very few books that talk about hearing aids in a way that is accessible to young children.
That’s why we created This Is How I Hear—a children’s book about hearing aids and hearing loss, designed to show real-life experiences of the process and explain in a concrete way to the child what is to come. But for me, this story is also deeply personal.
As a new mom, I (Taryn Mason, co-author of This Is How I Hear) was navigating the emotional rollercoaster of early parenthood when my son was diagnosed with hearing loss at birth through the newborn screening program. I was determined to give him the best start possible—learning ASL, singing, talking constantly, diving into speech-language activities, and attending countless audiologist appointments.
During this time, I was searching for a resource that could help my son—and other children—prepare and understand this journey in a positive and empowering way. I also wanted parents like me to feel less alone. That’s when the idea for this book was born.
This Is How I Hear features real images of my son and our audiologist. It’s more than just a book—it’s a reflection of our experience, a love letter to families going through similar journeys, and a tool to help kids feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
This story was written from the heart—for my son, for myself, and for all the families navigating hearing loss with courage and care.
What Makes This Book Unique?
✔️ Real Images
Instead of illustrations, this book uses real photographs to help children connect with the story in a concrete and meaningful way. Each image shows a real child navigating their journey with hearing aids—from visiting the audiologist to learning how to care for their devices and talk about them with friends.
✔️ Social-Emotional Learning
This story supports social-emotional development by:
Helping children understand what hearing aids are
Encouraging empathy for others who may need them
Promoting confidence and self-acceptance in all children
✔️ Inclusive and Educational
Whether your child wears hearing aids or is learning about hearing loss in school or at home, This Is How I Hear is a great tool to:
Prepare kids for audiologist appointments
Normalize the use of hearing devices
Encourage inclusive conversations about differences
Who Is This Book For?
This Is How I Hear is written for children ages 1–8, but is also a great tool for:
Parents of deaf or hard of hearing children
Teachers and early childhood educators
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists
Classrooms learning about inclusion and diversity
If you're searching for a book about hearing aids for preschoolers, a children’s book about hearing loss, or a story for kids going to the audiologist, this is the perfect resource.
What Parents and Educators Are Saying
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"Excellent Helper for a New Experience"
"Real photos and gentle true story to help young ones through the process of getting their first hearing device. Concerns were addressed and process explained in a way that would make anyone feel comfortable. Fantastic method to share experience with a touch of humour too (super ears)."
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"Great book for kids with hearing aids"
"My daughter just got hearing aids and this book was perfect for helping her understand the process and feel more comfortable."
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"Highly recommend for parents and educators"
"This book provides a realistic and empathetic look at what it's like for a child to get hearing aids. The real-life images make it very relatable."
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"A must read for children with hearing aids"
"This is a well thought out real image story of a toddler who gets hearing aids. The photos are what make this book so practical and unique as young children need visual props to help them understand bigger concepts (such as getting hearing aids), especially if it is something that is happening to them. Also, identifying as a person who is deaf/hard of hearing happens early on, and a big part of this is knowing that you are not alone and that there are many others like you, even as a little person. This book plays into this as well which is so important. Most books about getting hearing aids have cartoon images, which is fine, but real images are so much more realistic, memorable and true to the experience. This is definitely a must read for children with hearing loss and their families.”
Where to Buy This Is How I Hear
You can find This Is How I Hear: A Children's Book About Hearing Aids on Amazon, or visit www.reallifepages.com to explore more real-image books for children.
Related Topics:
Best Books for Hard of Hearing Children
Teaching Kids About Hearing Aids
Inclusive Books with Real Photographs
How to Explain Hearing Aids to a Child
Books for Kids Going to the Audiologist
Want more books like this?
Real Life Pages publishes non-fiction children’s books using real images to help kids learn about the world around them in an inclusive, educational, and engaging way.
