Feelings on Cochlear implants

P

pjtrai

New Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I am currently a student taking ASL II at Wheelock College of Boston

We have recently been presented with the issue of cochlear implants. We have watched one video for it and one against it. For an outside assignment we were asked to ask members of the Deaf community their feelings on Cochlear Implants.

Thanks for the time.
 
I don't mind those who wants a cochlear implants for themselves, but I don't believe parents should make a choice in implanting their children without their decision involves in this matter. ;)
 
I would reccommend you search through this area of the forum - you will find a PLETHORA of information regarding this topic in various threads.
 
I believe that the implantation of children is a private matter for the parents to decide and members of the deaf community should not interfere with this parenting process. However it would be good to see more parents (if they are hearing) acknowledging the needs of the deaf child, in particular the need for them to have exposure to others like them and recognition that they are in fact deaf people.

I think it would also be a good measure for them to learn sign with their children, even if they communicate primarily orally because cochlear implants are a technological device which cannot be worn at all times e.g. when asleep or in a pool or shower. For safety reasons parents need always to be able to communicate with their children. Sign language also facilitates language acquisition, which is extremely important no matter the mode of communication.
 
I also think it's up to the parents to implant the child and like R2D2 said it's a private matter.

I also strongly recommend that sign be learned so the child has a way to communicate at all times even when the CI is not worn. Also language acquisition in deaf children is critical. I've seen far too many deafies suffer because they didn't have a good language base. Implantation isn't always a success either.

I think they should be exposed to d/Deaf as well so they know there are others like them.
 
OK, lets please not have another thread goto the bashing of CI's for children. I think this has been covered many times already.

This person is probably trying to find out your opinions and probably personal accounts of what a CI has done for them or how it may have affected your relationship with your friends. I think this could be more constructive information for us all.

I am not typical as I finally lost enough of my hearing in my better ear to qualify for a CI after a 2 year battle and 8 month fast progressive hearing loss. I've had the CI for going on 5 weeks and I can not explain how it has changed my outlook on life.

If you ask me if I'd do it again, you bet. This CI has backed up time by almost 2 years with my hearing. I just love it. I also understand I am totally depended on it to hear and if I don't have it, I'm stuck with reading lips or using paper. Yea, it's a hassle when the batteries go dead or when I go to sleep and can't hear my wife but I have the choice to hear which 2 months ago, I did not.
 
SteveESP52,

While I can agree with your sentiments, the poster (Pjtrai) did ask what the deaf community "feelings" on CIs. Obviously, that is going to include how they feel about them for children.

In general, I would say that the deaf community doesn't mind CIs for people who decide for themselves to get one. Again generally speaking, many of the deaf community has strong feelings against putting CIs in children. At least, that is the gist I'm getting overall.

Personally, I have one myself and it was the best thing I ever done for my hearing bar none! I highly recommend it as an option for nothing else will help you (assuming you can get one in the first place). I have no problems putting CIs in children if one as a parent consider all the ins and outs of a child having one and assisting their language developement with ASL in case they have struggles.
 
sr171soars said:
SteveESP52,

the poster (Pjtrai) did ask what the deaf community "feelings" on CIs. Obviously, that is going to include how they feel about them for children.
Click to expand...


That's correct, Thank you! ;)
 
Oh well, if deaf people don't get good benefit with HA then CI will be your new friend, if you want hear from sound on everything. It's really work so well for severely and profoundly hearing loss.
 
As a hearing parent of a deaf child. I feel that if an adult wants one, and is considered a candidate, then by all means, do what ever they can to get one. As a parent, it is YOUR responsibility to do your research. Then, after considering all options, make your decision. It is a family matter. If the parents decide to implant the child, so be it. BUT, the family must be open to learning sign also. As said above, there will be times when communication is vital, and the CI will not be on the child.
One of the main objectives is to raise a child that is capable of effective communication. A parents responsibility to the child is to prepare teh child for life when they become an adult. A big part of that is equiping the child with whatever toolsare necessary for the child to be happy, successful, and adaptable through the stages in thier life. If the parent does not do this for the child, then shame on them. I am by no means saying that if a parent does not get the child a CI, that the child will not be happy, successful or well rounded. The CI is a tool, it is nto the right tool for all jobs and all people, but when used in most circumstances, and with training, it becomes an incredible assett.
 
Lillys dad said:
As a hearing parent of a deaf child. I feel that if an adult wants one, and is considered a candidate, then by all means, do what ever they can to get one. As a parent, it is YOUR responsibility to do your research. Then, after considering all options, make your decision. It is a family matter. If the parents decide to implant the child, so be it. BUT, the family must be open to learning sign also. As said above, there will be times when communication is vital, and the CI will not be on the child.
One of the main objectives is to raise a child that is capable of effective communication. A parents responsibility to the child is to prepare teh child for life when they become an adult. A big part of that is equiping the child with whatever toolsare necessary for the child to be happy, successful, and adaptable through the stages in thier life. If the parent does not do this for the child, then shame on them. I am by no means saying that if a parent does not get the child a CI, that the child will not be happy, successful or well rounded. The CI is a tool, it is nto the right tool for all jobs and all people, but when used in most circumstances, and with training, it becomes an incredible assett.
Click to expand...

:gpost:
 
As a deaf grandmother of a deaf grandson (5) who was just implanted with his second CI, I want to thank the posters on here who commented that the decision for implanting their children should be a private decision for the family. I feel it is no one else's business as long as the parents have already researched thoroughly on how to help their children. I've been on here almost a year now and I have yet to see one parent stating they just up and got their deaf child implant to "make them hearing like the parents". I know that most of these parents on here are doing all they can by their children and they are going the distance and are willing to give them the world and beyond.
My grandson really bounced back after his surgery last week and already went back to school 3 days after the surgery!
:cool:
 
Again generally speaking, many of the deaf community has strong feelings against putting CIs in children. At least, that is the gist I'm getting overall.
Click to expand...
On the other hand, things have gotten a lot more moderate in the past few years.
Five years ago, EVERYONE posting here would have been anti CI. Besides, back when hearing aids were first introduced, a lot of Deafies were anti hearing aid!
One of the things that makes me kind of uncomfortable about CIs, is that canidacy guidlines are kind of flexiable. Like you can almost "shop around" for getting an implant. I just think that eligibilty guidlines should be uniform, just to screen out any possible "gotta have the latest equiptment" types.
However, they are AWESOME for Meinere's, severe recruitment cases, and auditory nereopathy.
I think for the percentage of kids who don't benifit from hearing aids, a CI is awesome. However I do think that implantation canidacy should be VERY strict. I think too that bilateral implantation should be reserved for auditory nereopathies, multiple handicapped kids, kids who clearly do not benifit at all from hearing aids, and kids who can express to their parents that they want a better sound quality (I think that the bilateral question is gonna be more like the analog vs digial debate rather then the revolution that occured when bilateral hearing aids became the norm)
I also think maybe a good idea might be to have ambigious canidates experiment with different technologes and or hearing aids. Like I think that a session with an audi, trying a whole bunch of hearing aids in AMBIGOUS cases should be mandatory. Just to see....I mean everyone's very indivdual when it comes to hearing technolgy. Also I think there might be some cases out there, where some people can get just as good benifit from things like body worn aids (I really think that audis should push BWA in some cases) or high frequncy transponders.
 
I used to be be against them cuz I got caught up in the hype by the deaf community of being anit-CI. Then I went to grad school for deaf ed in which a lot of discussion about CI and the issues were discussed. Then, I became against it for children but didnt care if adults got them or not. Now, I am working with children who have CIs that didnt work for them or in other words, the children didnt get any benefit from their CIs. That got me angry cuz they were delayed in language due to not being exposed to sign language until they were older. Then, I joined AD and started reading all the deaf people or parents of deaf children with their experiences with CIs, then I realized that I wasnt against the CIs themselves. I was against the attitude of people who saw CIs as making the deaf child hearing and refusing to accept that the child is still deaf with deaf needs.

So, in summary, nope I am not against CIs. I just would hope the babies who get implanted will be exposed to sign language while they are going to speech/listening therapy. I just think it is better if the child has both languages.
 
I think if a person is committed to the work they have to put into making the most out of their CI, candidate ambiguity wouldn't be much of an issue anymore.
 
I would like to thank you all for posting your feelings on the matter. It has all been very insightful.

I myself agree that CI's are a private matter and one that should be considered with the utmost of thought.

Thanks again
 
pjtrai said:
I would like to thank you all for posting your feelings on the matter. It has all been very insightful.

I myself agree that CI's are a private matter and one that should be considered with the utmost of thought.

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would agree that CI's are a private matter. :)
 
Lucia, there's no need to be rude! I do remember an article from Hearing Exchange a while back saying that only a small percentage of those eligable had been implanted. But I have noticed within that small percentage a small percentage of people who are pretty much like those people who have to have the latest cell phone technology. I mean the media portrayal has gotten a lot more balanced. Yet, there's still a lot of hype. I don't see anything wrong with being a little strict towards ambigious canidates. You really can't tell how one person will respond to hearing technology vs another type. I just think in ambigous cases, that the CI should be a last resort. Rather then "Oh I can't hear too well in noise with hearing aids.....boohoohoo. I need the latest greatest trendy technology!" I do however think if someone has an unbalanced loss, like they have aidable hearing in one ear, but are unaidable in the other ear, they should get implanted!
 
Back
Top