Cochlear Implants...children with Hearing Loss in General

Hi K.,
I'm a sign language interpreter, so I know a lot of both cochlear implants (both good & bad)& deafness in general. I would echo a lot of the advice you've already got...make sure you do a lot of research! In my experience kids are most successful when they get the implant & also learn sign language (it's called Total Communication). There is research that says not only children with a hearing loss but all children will speak faster if they learn sign language as well, just so they have a way to communicate their basic needs without frustration. Don't know where you live, but there are many people in Columbus, OH that have cochlears, I think Children's Hospital has a support group so you may want to contact them. Good luck!!

I have a friend whose little girl is profoundly deaf in both ears. She had an implant done about 1 year..I think. She's 5 now and does great! They will freely admit that they made mistakes when they were teaching her how to talk. They were so set on the implant working immediately that they never taught their daughter sign language. They were afraid she'd never talk. She actually did worse without learning the sign. They finally had a speech therapist that recommended using Whole Language (I think that's what it's called). They use a combination of sign and speaking. She does SO much better now! The preschool she attends also uses sign and speech together. Now that she is a little older, she's starting to get away from the sign and use more speech. I know she goes for therapy once a week and has to go back to have the implant checked on a regular basis. She's a great little girl and gets along great with other kids. Her deafness hasn't affected her social life at all! :)

My professor during my music therapy training at the University of Iowa has done extensive research at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with the cochlear implant. She may have some advice for you, I am not sure. Her name is Kate Gfeller and you can look her email address up through the University of Iowa school of music website. I know she is busy so it may take awhile for her response. I hope that helps!

Hi this is M. and I am deaf of 2 beaitful hearing kids. I know lots of about cochlear implants. Some negetive and some postive . The imporant is you keep researching more about coclear implants and also general about deaf cutlure and American Sign Langauge.. American Sign Langauge and Hearing parents 's commucation are very imporant to deaf children. Because two of my freinds who have cochlear implants since they were 3 and 5 years old and didn't success because thier hearing parents don't commucation with them that much or use american sign lanague to keep thier education . They are just negelict them and they thought they can hear very well as hearing . But that is not working so .. The imporant for deaf kids are communcation . My hearing parents didnt commucation with me that much .Both of my hearing kids are very good at Sign lanague and also they are very genius . My son is 5 years old and is reading class is in 1st grade and my daugther is 3 years old, she already knew about numbers, shapes, rhytem . I always commmucation with them since they were 6 months old . I commcuation with them everyday about everything they want to learn . so The imporant are American Sign Langauge and Communcation are very imporant to deaf children. By the way My husband is deaf as well. he is lab tech for Lenscrafters and planning to promote him as lab manager this year . He can talk very well without coclear implants, and hearing people at his work can commcunation with him no problem.

hope this help you ?

M.

A good friend of mine has a daughter who had the implants. GREAT experience for the entire family. Her issues were that she was deaf in only one ear, but she really responds quite differently now.

I personally know of 2 children who had this done. One young man had this done back when they were first out. He went to a special school first of it's kind to work with the implants because Mom wanted him to speak not sign. I do now our school district had to pay his tution but the parents paid the living expenses.
The other young man did special training at home and went to our school. He's doing great. He did know sign and it was a long time before their insurance would pay for the implant since it was still considerred experimental for a long time. I would say go for it. The second young man I spoke about hated his in the begining. Not being use to sound he would pull the hear aid off quite often but eventually stopped.

Hi K.
I work with a lady and her grandson got two cochlear implants. He has done exceptionally well. I know this entry probably isn't has helpful to you as you were expecting because I don't know details. But she always keep me up-to-date with his progress and he is doing great, he is now 5 years old. I believe he got the first one done at one year old and then the other two to two and half years old. Good luck and I will pray for your son.

i worked in a hospital for 2 yrs. before we moved here. i had the priveledge of meeting a couple families who child had the implant. they shared their experiences with our staff during their stay and i can honestly say i will never forget them & all of the obsticles they overcame. one family, their child was 14 when she got the implant, the doctor said not to expect much & that with intense speech therapy there was no gaurentee that she would comprehend enough to speak actual words. she was in an accident when she was 2 & lost her hearing & the doctors said that because she was so young she forgot syllabols & things. her family told me that after 17mo. of intense treatment their child was speaking at an 8yr. old level & tht was far more than they could have hoped for. she was at our hospital for a diferent type of surgery & all i can say is that she is a true blessing to anyone she meets. i'm sure if you type in cochler implant in the search engine it'll give you tons of information to research. i pray all goes well with your little one. god be with you.

When I was at IUPUI in Indianapolis, I was involved in a study with some researchers there who specialized in cocochlear implants. I actually have normal hearing, but in the study, they made me wear a device that made ME hear like those with the implants hear -- it was really an experience I will never forget. I had to relearn how to hear sounds and pick out words. Anyhow, the point of my post is that, after a few months of training, I was able to "hear" and repeat phrased and such using the device ... I adjusted to it after awhile and I am in my 30s. So I can only imagine what a baby will be able to do with the implant -- they are such marvelous learners and can rebound so quickly. I know this isn't a perfect comparison, but I thought maybe it would help.
Best wishes! My heart goes out to you!
A.