Children as young as 12 months old, with profound hearing loss, are benefiting from cochlear implant surgery.

Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program - Making the Decision

When a child is diagnosed with profound hearing loss, the family must decide how to address the child’s fundamental communication needs. Options might include American Sign Language (ASL), manually coded English (MCE) which is English-based sign language, Total Communication which is a combination of sign and spoken/auditory communication, or strictly oral/aural communication which is speaking and listening. Auditory options include using hearing aids, a cochlear implant, or simply foregoing any type of amplification and raising the child as part of the Deaf culture.

For many children with severe-to-profound hearing loss, hearing aids may not provide adequate benefit even after extensive experience and auditory training. Families arrive at the point of considering a cochlear implant at various stages in a child’s development. Each child presents with a unique background and circumstances that can impact the child’s potential to benefit from the device. Factors that can affect benefit with an implant include duration of deafness, length of hearing aid use or other amplification, family and educational support, and whether the child already has some system of communication in place. Additionally, families often have varied degrees of information regarding cochlear implantation and the expected outcomes. Families are encouraged to speak with audiologists, speech language pathologists, educators, physicians, and/or counselors who are familiar with the cochlear implant process. Families also are encouraged to talk with parents of children who have received cochlear implants, as well as members of the Deaf community. Active participation in this process is critical to making an informed decision for your child in regard to a cochlear implant.

There are experienced professionals and other resources available at Boys Town National Research Hospital that can provide useful information for potential candidates and their families. Our cochlear implant center can assist in addressing issues that are unique to each child and his/her needs. The Hospital offers a wide range of expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss, particularly in children. The Cochlear Implant Center is comprised of a team of professionals whose aim is to serve the whole child. Members of our team can also put potential candidates and their families in touch with cochlear implant recipients with similar backgrounds. For more information about cochlear implants and the candidacy process, please contact us at (402) 452-5000.