CI's for under 1 ???

Cloggy, I think we're facing a difference in cultures here. There are some parents of implanted kids who are rather easy going when it comes to habilitation of the implant. Like they don't go overboard with the therapy, but yet their kids do decently. However, there is a subpopulation of parents of dhh kids who overprogram them. Like they're the types of families where they get toys that increase their SAT scores. In short they are extreme overacheivers....like they have their whole life planned out for them, to go to
some High Acheiving Prestigious College. I don't have stats, but I mean I would imagine that the percentage of implanted kids who are oral sucesses,
(meaning they've mastered spoken English, and don't say things like " How many spiders have legs?" for "How many legs do spiders have?")
who come from middle class families, with not too much to spend on extras like extra therapy, abilty to move to a special school, even health insurance (here in Amercia, there are many people who don't even have good health insurance!) is probaly somewhat low. Yes, there are kids who can suceed b/c they have enough residual hearing.......but there have ALWAYS been those types of kids!
 
butterflygal said:
I think parents need to ensure their children have a language be it ASL or spoken english. The earlier, the better. Research has shown that if a child learns a language at an earlier age, they will pick up on different language more easily. So if a child is born deaf, then I believe parents need to sign with their children just to make sure they have a language developed so whether they get CI or HA or decide to go with ASL only, they will be better off.
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I agree with you. Depriving a child from communication is the worst thing that can happen. Language should start asap. Sign or speech. (and sign is easier for little children than speech)
But when you say.. "if a child is born deaf" but it is not that easy. Communication in the first year is established without initial language. Finding out that a child is deaf can take some time. When parents do not know that the child is deaf (we had suspicion, but realised it after 1/2 year) sign has not started. Then, if CI can be implanted within the next 1/2 year, sign will not be established... And in that case there is no need for it either since speech will be the predominant way of communication.
Sure, sign will be used, but it will never reach the level of ASL. The parents are mostly hearing and will not know it so it will be basic sign in addition to speach - if there is sign at all.

With Lotte - my daughter - we started sign asap and it helped us and her a lot. Also when she got CI. But this is because a basis with sign was established and we didn't want to take that away from her.
But do not judge parents that don't use sign too easily. When the child is implanted early, there is no natural reason to start sign.
 
deafdyke said:
Cloggy, I think we're facing a difference in cultures here. There are some parents of implanted kids who are rather easy going when it comes to habilitation of the implant. Like they don't go overboard with the therapy, but yet their kids do decently. However, there is a subpopulation of parents of dhh kids who overprogram them. Like they're the types of families where they get toys that increase their SAT scores.
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Problem is that you seem to assume that all parents are like that, because that is showing in all your replies. ..........................
 
Kynnedi Andersons Bilateral Implants

I would like to comment on the information that you have on my daughter and her cochlear implants. We have a sign language director, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist come into our home and work with her about 2 times a week right now. We are learning the sign and will continue with the sign after she receives her bilateral implant surgery. We are doing the surgery so she may have the chance of hearing and developing speech. Never know until she is old enough whether she would want them or not but why take the chance of her saying one day, "Why didn't I get those, they were available when I was little". If she does not want anything to do with them and wants to continue with straight sign language only, then that is what she will do. As of right now the decision is in our hands. The community is a community no matter what developmental issues one has. I do not section the deaf, blind, black, white people. We are not trying to make her different from anyone else. We are going with the research and feeling in our hearts and will proceed with the procedure. We are not doing this to offend anyone, hearing impairment or not. We did not know that this would bring up such a poor issue. Everyone will have their own opinions, I just think that the paper wrote a little far out then what is actually how we feel about the whole thing. I am up for any discussions, thoughts, opinions.
Mother of Kynnedi
 
Believer,

Welcome to AllDeaf.
How old is your daughter?

I just want to say that I went through the same proces. And I agree with you that by giving her a CI now, we are giving her a choice in the future when there is a decision between sound or no-sound.

Looking forward to hear more from you.

Cloggy

(Meet my daughter here.)
 
kynnedi mom

Congrats!!! I belong to a support group caled natural communications inc.and in the group i met a little girl named Emma she on her 1 year birthday got bilateral implants. What an amazing transformation ,Emma came alive. she talks,babbles,and a whole new world developed for her. my son had a implant at 16 months and if he could of been qualyified at a year I would of done it also!he has had his implant for 7 months and is not even behind in speech.Its the best decision we made for him. We attend av once a week and he is thriving. I wonder if kynnedi"s mom can get insurance to pay?? mine paid for our sons.Why take this option away from her.As long as she is under 18 its the parents decision.. Good Luck and may God Bless you on your journey!!
 
zxvasdf said:
such an invasive surgery should be a personal choice...
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Are you just dropping a load or are you really interested??

Regarding your children, it is allways a personal choice - until the child is old enough to make it's own choice.
And "invasive" and "personal" are not connected.....
 
Believer, Welcome! You should find that there are several here that have the same opinion as you and your family. I am one of them. Some here completely disagree with the thought of implanting a child. Fortunately, they are not your childs parent, you are. It is your duty as a parent to raise your child in a manner tha tyou see fit.
Some here will say that you are cruel, some say you are not acepting your child for who/what they are, some say that the child should have a choice. At the end of the day, when you are spending time with your child, holding, playing or just loving them, smile because you know that you are doing what you feel is right for your child.
As far as giving the child a choice, thats easy. With a C.I., when they get older, if they chose that they do not want a CI, they simply take it off. But, when they are older and decide that they do want a CI, you have deprived them of the chance of taking full advantage of a CI.
Once again, welcome!
 
Hi, Believer! I am a believer, too.

My 16 month old daughter was implanted at 14 months - activated at 15 months. It has now been only about 20 days since she was activated, but she already is showing a huge difference in her babbling.

Every day we see something new. Even her laugh has become brighter. :D

Over the last few days, she has started pointing at and asking for her implant when she wakes up in the morning. As soon as we put it on, she starts kicking her feet and squealing with excitement. It is SO amazing... and brings tears to our eyes.

Once we made the decision, we never looked back. And it was the best decision we ever made.

Please visit us at:

Erin Toes and her Cochler Implant Journey.
 
zxvasdf said:
such an invasive surgery should be a personal choice...
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The problem is that waiting til adulthood takes away that choice for people who are too deaf to benefit from hearing aids. It becomes a hollow freedom of choice.
 
Welcome Believer!

It sounds like you are really committed to giving your daughter as much choice as she can get for adulthood. I'm sure that even if she decides that CIs are not for her when she is older she will appreciate that you didn't try to second guess how she would feel and that you gave her the options to choose from as an adult...

As you can see from the AD site we are a pretty diverse lot and come to all sorts of different conclusions and viewpoints.
 
deafdyke said:
OH......and almost forgot.......as a sociologist I wonder exactly how much oral and listening achievement is due to the CI or due to the possibilty of families who encourage overachieving or hyperprograming, just really melding with oral techniques? Parental involvement is vital for oral techniques to work.......
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Well said, dd. Well said.
 
Kateweb said:
I would so like to knock that woman upside the head why would you do that to a kid that freeking young !! sugary is bad enof as a kid , I would wait till she was old enof to deside for herself if she wanted CI's
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You hold her down and I'll:smash:
 
CI's are great but we're only 3-5 yrs away from trials to a better solution to hearing loss.

Richard
 
There nothing wrong with parents believing in their children to do anything they want.
 
Kateweb said:
I would so like to knock that woman upside the head why would you do that to a kid that freeking young !! sugary is bad enof as a kid , I would wait till she was old enof to deside for herself if she wanted CI's.
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jillio said:
You hold her down and I'll:smash:
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I am starting to believe you really believe that is funny.!!

Is this how you educate your children?
 
Nesmuth said:
CI's are great but we're only 3-5 yrs away from trials to a better solution to hearing loss.

Richard
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Getting interesting.... but could you give some more information about that in a new topic. Sounds exciting !!
 
Cloggy said:
I am starting to believe you really believe that is funny.!!

Is this how you educate your children?
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Don't worry about them but it's unfortunate their children has a real chance to become close minded and uneducated like their parents.

Let them raise their children with a wall between them and the bustling world. Their loss ;)
 
Fragmenter said:
Don't worry about them but it's unfortunate their children has a real chance to become close minded and uneducated like their parents.

Let them raise their children with a wall between them and the bustling world. Their loss ;)
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I agree with you... Except for the children... that's such a pity...
 
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