5 Benefits of Cochlear Implants for Kids with Hearing Loss
If you’re a parent of a child with hearing loss, you’re likely faced with many challenges. You want to give your child the best possible chance at success and happiness. Depending on the type of hearing loss your child has, your Audiologist might recommend cochlear implants. It’s understandable to have questions about if cochlear implants are the right choice for your child. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the benefits of cochlear implants, so you can make an informed decision for your family.
Cochlear implants are typically recommended for individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is not typically responsive to traditional hearing aids.
As for children, candidacy is generally considered if the child has profound hearing loss in one ear or both ears and doesn’t benefit significantly from hearing aids.
The child should be healthy enough for surgery and also have the support and resources necessary for follow-up care and therapy. The process of cochlear implants work best with consistent speech therapy.
This is because these devices do not simply restore normal hearing; instead, they provide a representation of sounds to help the user understand speech.
5 Benefits of Cochlear Implants
Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive impact of cochlear implants on children with hearing loss.
It has been observed that with the help of these implants, many children can catch up to their hearing peers in terms of speech and language development.
Of course, every child is different and you should consult with your own Audiologist, ENT and Speech Language Pathologist to determine the best course of action for your own child.
Personally, we are glad that our two boys recieved cochlear implants!
It has opened up a world of hearing sounds that they would not have otherwise heard. In the future our children might decide not to use their cochlear implants, but as parents we are glad that we gave our kids a choice.
Having gone through this process twice, I know it’s not a decision that you should make lightly.
To help with your decision making process, here are some benefits of cochlear implants:
- Improved hearing ability
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of cochlear implants is that they can greatly enhance your child’s ability to hear and perceive sounds.
By providing access to a wider range of frequencies and sounds, cochlear implants enable children to better understand language, communicate effectively, and engage with their surroundings.
This newfound auditory experience opens up a whole new world of sensory stimulation, which can contribute to a higher level of academic and social success for your child.
- Better speech and language development
Children with hearing loss often experience delays in speech and language development compared to their peers.
This can be attributed to the challenges they face in accurately perceiving and processing sound information.
However, once kids receive cochlear implants they now have access to a solution that can help bridge that language gap.
Cochlear implants also provide a more accurate and comprehensive range of sound information to the brain, which enables kids to develop their speech and language skills more effectively.
- More self confidence
When children can hear and communicate more effectively, it can have a transformative impact on their self-esteem.
By being able to express themselves clearly and understand others, children can develop a sense of competence and confidence that extends beyond communication.
This newfound confidence encourages them to actively participate and engage in social situations.
Moreover, enhanced communication skills open doors to a wider range of opportunities for personal growth, such as joining sports teams, clubs, and other extracurricular activities.
- Greater independence
Cochlear implants gave children and adults the ability to increase their independence in every day life.
One way this happens is when children with cochlear implants can more readily embrace mainstream education.
As adults, poeple with cochlear implants can explore diverse career paths and unlock opportunities that were previously going to be much harder.
Children can certainly live full and happy lives as Deaf adults. Cochlear implants allow your child to go through their day a little easier because they can independently hear and communicate with all people in spoken speech.
- Long-term benefits
Cochlear implants offer long-term benefits for children with hearing loss because cochlear implants can provide your child with consistent and reliable access to sound for the rest of their lives.
As your child grows and their needs change, the mapping on the cochlear processors can be adjusted or upgraded to ensure they receive the best possible hearing experience tailored to their individual hearing needs.
Reading on Baby Hearing about the pros and cons of cochlear implants in kids.
Is Your Child a Candidate for Cochlear Implants?
Determining if your child is a candidate for cochlear implants requires consultation with a team of healthcare professionals.
This team often includes an otolaryngologist, audiologist, and speech-language pathologist. The evaluation process includes a series of tests:
- Hearing test: This assesses your child’s level of hearing loss and their ability to understand speech with and without a hearing aid.
- Medical evaluation: An otolaryngologist will examine your child to ensure they are physically capable of undergoing the surgery. This might include checking the structure of the ear and overall health.
- Speech and language assessment: A speech-language pathologist will evaluate your child’s speech and language skills to determine their current level and potential for improvement with a cochlear implant.
Furthermore, a prospective candidate should have a strong support system willing to commit to the process.
This includes regular follow-up appointments, device maintenance, and ongoing speech and language therapy.
It’s also important that expectations are realistic — while cochlear implants can vastly improve hearing, they do not fix deafness. Your child will still be deaf when they are not wearing the cochlear processors.
If you’re still on the fence about whether cochlear implants are right for your child, hopefully, this blog post has given you some insight into the many benefits they can offer.
Ultimately, the decision should be based on what’s best for your child and your family. However, it’s worth considering the positive impact that cochlear implants can have on your child’s life.
We encourage you to talk to your child’s audiologist and other professionals to weigh the pros and cons of this cochelar implants and determine if it’s the right choice for your child.
Children with hearing loss can achieve great things with the right support and resources in their lives!
Don’t forget to download your free cochlear implant surgery packing list!
More Resources on Cochlear Implants
