Outcomes

Children

 

Outcome Measures in Children

A Cochlear Implant is an aid to hearing and not a cure for deafness. Children remain deaf, and have to learn to use an implant with the help and support of the family, implant team, and local professionals. It is important that the children and their families accept the reality of being deaf, and do not think that the cochlear implant will make the child a hearing person. Parents need to know what the likely benefit is for their own child. Despite some media reports, a cochlear implant is not a bionic ear!

There are three main sources of information about the outcome of cochlear implantation. Firstly, there is published, scientific information. Secondly, there are personal accounts from the parents of deaf children and from deaf children themselves. Finally, there is information from organizations that exist to represent the interests of Deaf people.

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Scientific literature

The outcome from a cochlear implant is dependent on a number of factors. These include the age at implantation, the use of residual hearing with hearing aids, learning style, educational setting, preferred and/or used mode of communication and exposure to meaningful auditory input. In carefully selected and appropriately fitted children, cochlear implants have been found to help monitor everyday sounds and to detect speech. Benefits from implantation are not immediate, and may take many months if not years to develop. In the longer term, the majority of those implanted are able to understand common phrases without lipreading; can produce speech that can be understood by those around them, and many are be able to use the telephone. Most children that are implanted in the UK, use their implants all day, and continue to do so after many years.

A list of useful books can be found at the end of this page.

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Personal Accounts

The Cochlear Implanted Children's Support Group (CICS) aims to provide first hand experience of the impact of an implant on family life. Parents and children considering implantation can exchange information either in writing, or personally at one of many social activities. Further information is available from:

North of England 
Hilary French 
11, Wearside Drive, The Sands, Durham City, DH1 1LE 
(0191) 386 1112 

South of England
Tricia Kemp
4, Ranelagh Avenue, Barnes, London, 
SW13 OBY
(0208) 876 8605

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Organisations

The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) has published an information booklet aimed at parents and families with deaf children who are considering a cochlear implant. Deaf Children and Cochlear Implants is available from the NDCS, 15, Dufferin Street, London EC1Y 8UR Telephone 0207 250 0123 (Voice and Text).

Email : helpline@ndcs.org.uk

Website www.ndcs.org.uk

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Further Reading

Allum, DJ (1996) Cochlear Implant Rehabilitation in Children and Adults.
Whurr Publishers Ltd, London

Cooper, H. (1993) Cochlear Implants. A Practical Guide.
Whurr Publishers Ltd, London

Tye-Murray, N. (1992) Cochlear Implants and Children: A Handbook for hearing-impaired children. Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, Washington D.C.

Meyer, T., Svirsky, M., Kirk, K., Miyamoto, R. (1998) Improvements in speech perception by children with profound prelingual hearing loss: effects of device, communication mode and chronological age. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. 41, 846-856

McCormack, B., Archbold, S., Sheppard, S. (1994) Cochlear Implants for Deaf Children. London. Whurr Publishers