Experience-based knowledge

National/State Family Organizations

Hands and Voices is a national parent organization dedicated to supporting families of deaf and hard of hearing children and the professionals that serve them. The membership is diverse with all different communication methods represented; this parent-driven group is dedicated to providing support that is unbiased toward communication methodologies. There are also a growing number of state chapters.

In making decisions about communication, it might be helpful to listen to what it sounds like to hear through a cochlear implant. Please follow this link to listen to music and two sentences as if you had a 32-channel implant. You can also listen to other simulations by accessing the House Ear Institute website.

Documentaries

• Cecilia's story, highlighted in the "Documentaries" box provides a longer-term perspective of a family's journey with cochlear implantation. Get a flavor of this journey by watching the following 3-minute clip. In order to view the video, you will need to scroll down to the "For Parents and their Children" section and click "View video" found in the section describing the documentary. (Note: this is a VLC Media File (.wmv).)  Please take into  consideration, however, while watching this documentary that it was created by Advanced Bionics, one of the three major manufactures of cochlear implants.

Blogs

• You might be interested in viewing a few blogs that address communication considerations related to cochlear implants.  One of the blogs, Mom to Toes, is written by a mother of a child who received her implant at 14 months of age. Rachel Chaikof is a young woman in college who received her cochlear implant in 1989. She blogs regularly and is an advocate of oral education.
• You will be able to receive advice and insight almost immediately by joining the pediatric implant yahoo group CICircle.

Documents

• Meeting the Educational Needs of Students with Cochlear Implants is a document that provides information for educators, administrators, and parents about supporting the optimal education for children with cochlear implants. Communication needs of children with cochlear implants are highlighted in particular as well as legal rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. This document is made available by the Florida Department of Education.
• Finally, the document Children with Cochlear Implants Who Sign: Guidelines for Transitioning to Oral Education or a Mainstream Setting is a set of guidelines created by deaf educators in both oral and manual environments. This document can help guide your conversations with professionals about your child's individual strengths and needs as well as your families' preferences. The information that is provided (e.g., competency checklists, physical accommodations, classroom strategies, additional service options, and equipment considerations) will be helpful in making individualized educational decisions for your child. This document is made available by Children's Hospital Boston; please refer to page 13 of the document for a full listing of the authors and contributors.

*For more information about multi-channel implants in a reader-friendly format, follow this link. This article is made available online through the University of Texas at Dallas website and was originally printed in the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, pages 101-130, September 1998.