Dislike my cochlear device after 3 years using it...??

[jillio]

Hi Danb: Like you I became deaf-Dec 20/06. I was operated on July 12.2007- fitted with Advanced Bionics-Harmony processor. I believe I had about 6 different mapping sessions over less than a year.They started in Aug/07.
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Yeah weird music at the first singles dance- 3 days after activation- in Aug/07 brought me right back-adjusted immediately-the next day. Yeah appointment day it happened. Basically they were adjusting it so that I could "hear much better"-which in fact happened. All of this was done at Sunnybrook/Toronto-where I live.

It takes a few years for your brain to "kick over the new sound". It seems I helped myself-unknowningly-continuing "singles dances". Loud music to quiet people voices-at the same time. You must have the Cochlear Implant on all the time-how else can you get your brain to accept this new sound? Plus, of course, you will be picking much more sound that you missed before. Example-thought someone was following me-heard footsteps-looked around-MINE!Amusing-no doubt.Finally heard my own footsteps!

How much discussion did you have PRIOR to your operation about expectations from the audi? Think back-did you ask what is happening now?

Some random thoughts Danb on my experiences with Cochlear Implant

Implanted Advanced bionics- Harmony activated Aug/07

I don't see this as a mechanical issue for the OP. This is more of an identity issue. Mechanics are not providing the panacea he was led to believe it would. Time to stop relying on mechanics and look inward toward personal goals and desires, and outward toward cultural ways to address the dissatisfaction. That is the lasting way. The OP has demonstrated that very well.

 

[jillio]

Right -- it's why our goal isn't to mainstream her, despite pressure to do so and the ugly opinion many people have of deaf schools being factories of failure. It's to educate her. And we want ASL to be an integral part of that. I'm more worried about managing to keep ASL in her life than spoken language -- we work at maintaining ASL in her day to day, spoken language is everywhere -- hard to avoid it.

It certainly is a struggle...but all worthwhile things require concentrated effort. Glad to see that you are so willing to exert that effort.

 

[jillio]

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but what you are missing DD is that she also wants her to have the ability to speak and understand hearing strangers. She also wants her to be able to communicate with all hearing people through the language and mode of communication of the majority. She wants fluency in both languges, not just asl and "speech skills".

What does understanding hearing strangers have to do with speaking?

 

[jillio]

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actually, their bi-bi school was doing exactly what they wanted to do, and what nearly every other bi-bi school aims to do, teach ASL as the first language with written english as a second language.

li-li is a part of a tiny minority, even at TLC. She has access to spoken language at a deaf school. She has what parents want, and what the average deaf school is not providing.

What universe do you live in? All kids at deaf schools have access to spoken language.

This is not about what parents want. It is about what children need. In many cases that is directly opposed. Parents need to remove their wants from the equation. It is not about them.

 

[jillio]

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20 minutes of pull out a day will not teach a person an entire language. How could it? No matter how skilled an slp is, you must have exposure to the language to learn it.

You are so ignorant of the facts. This is nothing more than a case of a parent trying to twist and turn and manipulate to make their desires and wants the most important issue and then distort the facts to make it appear as if their desires are in line with the child's needs. Seriously, FJ, get some help for yourself before the damage you do is permanent.

 

[jillio]

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speech therapy is totally different from what TLC is doing. Yeah, all deaf schools have speech therapy, but only a tiny minority ever use spoken language. Spoken language is not a priority, it is not viewed as equal to ASL.

There is a reason that only a tiny majority use spoken English as the language of instruction. Duh.

 

[jillio]

Why is faire jour here? i would guess life experience on the topic discussed.

Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07

Then you would guess incorrectly.

 

[jillio]

I am referring to FJ, saying that a child needs access to sound to master the entire (in this case, English) language. I have argued this before. There are many other methods of mastering an entire language other than speech therapy. Perfecting spoken speech skills in English? The only way to obtain perfection is to have Professor Higgins as your therapist. There are many hearing people who speak English and have mastered the language but still have 'accents'. Many Deaf have definitely mastered the entire English language without speaking a word, because they have mastered the mechanics of the spoken language, otherwise they would not be literate in the language at all. Just because a deaf person has a 'deaf accent' does not mean they haven't mastered the English language. Writing on this forum in itself defutes that.

So true. Sound is not necessary for the mastery of any language. Does anyone even consider that all but a very few spoken languages have all developed written systems of the language, and it is the written system that is used to convey the material necessary for broadening the knowledge base and communicating complicated concepts. Speech is used for more of a conversational tool.

 

[BecLak]

That was exactly FJ's point. Looks like you two are in complete agreement. DD was pointing out that Kat could have obtained language via speech therapy at a better school. FJ's quote you used was in answer to this, basically stating that she doesn't equate speech therapy with acquiring a language.

I disagree, Grendel, why don't you let FJ answer for herself (you have a habit of answering for each other while the other remains silent).... because if what you are saying is true then it is another Faire Jour with the same name but different person. I honestly don't think that someone could totally change their hardcore opinions so dramatically like that.

 

[Frisky Feline]

uh oh.

 

[GrendelQ]

There is a reason that only a tiny majority use spoken English as the language of instruction. Duh.

Right, my daughter is a minority -- fewer 5yos in her school have CIs than don't.

 

[faire_jour]

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20 minutes of pull out a day will not teach a person an entire language. How could it? No matter how skilled an slp is, you must have exposure to the language to learn it.

Grendel, it is this post from FJ that I am referring to, and the many posts previously in other threads where she has stated that to master the entire English language you need access to sound, and she is stating it yet again. I am stating on the contrary yet again.

i am saying that you must have access to the language.

my point was that if a child is an asl school, uses asl exclusively at home as well, where and when do they learn spoken language? DD said during therapy, and i don't believe that 20 minutes a week (or best case, a day) is enough exposure to learn a language fluently.

 

[jillio]

Right, my daughter is a minority -- fewer 5yos in her school have CIs than don't.

Well, that's true, I'm sure. But I was referring to the methodolgy used in the classroom, and the fact that orally based instruction has not made great strides in improving the education of deaf kids, whether they have oral skills or not. That is why the move is away from strictly oral based instruction in bi-bi schools. They are more concerned with addressing the cognitive processing needs of a deaf student than simply with what language is being used. That is one of the major reasons I am such a proponent for bi-bi environments.

 

[jillio]

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i am saying that you must have access to the language.

my point was that if a child is an asl school, uses asl exclusively at home as well, where and when do they learn spoken language? DD said during therapy, and i don't believe that 20 minutes a week (or best case, a day) is enough exposure to learn a language fluently.

They learn English at home and at school. As long as they learn English, they are able to communicate with those who use spoken English. They learn articulation in speech therapy.

Again with the audist focus on speech at the sake of education.

 

[BecLak]

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i am saying that you must have access to the language.

my point was that if a child is an asl school, uses asl exclusively at home as well, where and when do they learn spoken language? DD said during therapy, and i don't believe that 20 minutes a week (or best case, a day) is enough exposure to learn a language fluently.

So that I can clarify for others, FJ, what you are saying is that a child needs more than 20 minutes a day of speech therapy to have enough 'exposure' to the language to learn it fluently or master it. Is that correct?

 

[GrendelQ]

I disagree, Grendel, why don't you let FJ answer for herself (you have a habit of answering for each other while the other remains silent).... because if what you are saying is true then it is another Faire Jour with the same name but different person. I honestly don't think that someone could totally change their hardcore opinions so dramatically like that.

I guess it's just that I haven't seen FJ on this forum for quite some time, and after a couple of non controversial posts she made here, 3 or 4 people pounced on her for no reason other than to quarrel. You don't even disagree with what she posted!

 

[jillio]

I guess it's just that I haven't seen FJ on this forum for quite some time, and after a couple of non controversial posts she made here, 3 or 4 people pounced on her for no reason other than to quarrel. You don't even disagree with what she posted!

Her consistant history follows her. People tend to attempt to be pro-active, and respond to what they know will occur.

 

[Daredevel7]

It's amazing how powerful pattern responses are. Even if someone finally says something different, it doesn't matter. The sense of pattern is powerful enough to overwhelm any differences and responses the same way as before.

 

[BecLak]

And I was stating that a child has exposure and learns entire (using FJ's own description) and mastery of language through regular class in school and at home by learning to read and other visual methods, and not by speech therapy, whether it be 20 minutes or a whole day, week, month, year/s etc of therapy.

Like Jillio says, speech therapy is only for conversational purposes and helps only some, and not for the mastery of language acquisition.

No, I do not agree with FJ's post even in this thread.

 

[jillio]

It's amazing how powerful pattern responses are. Even if someone finally says something different, it doesn't matter. The sense of pattern is powerful enough to overwhelm any differences and responses the same way as before.

You got it. It takes time to exhibit a true change, and to begin to receive newly patterned responses. One post is not nearly enough.