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Cochlear Implants

Many hearing parents are often pushed toward cochlear implants for their deaf baby. It can be good or bad decision that greatly impact their child's life. So it is cruical know all the information about it before doing it. 

Many doctors believe that cochlear implants are cure for deafness. A cochlear implant is a device that is surgically inserted. It is a transmitter that surgically placed behind the ear. Doctors see deafness as a “disability” that needs to be “cured.” Cochlear implants are specially found in children of hearing parents because it promotes easier communication. This is very untrue because the cochlear implant is just the beginning. It does not mean that they are going to automatically verbally communicate after the surgery. It takes years worth of therapy and practice. Here is a list of pro and cons of having a cochlear implant:

Pros: 

Increased hearing which can completely change the their lifestyle.

Allow children to participate in a mainstream society

More learning or job opportunities

Safety meaning they will be able to hear their environment, in cases of emergencies such as sirens, screaming, etc.

Cons:

High costing. The implant and procedure itself cost more than $40,000. The maintenance is also very expensive such batteries and keeping clean.

Sounds can become very overwhelming. Technology has a tendency to fail. Some noises can not be interpreted clearly.

Surgery could go wrong. The risk is not high, but there are still risk such as nerve damage or meningitis.

Controversy in the Deaf community. Many Deaf people see them negatively because they symbolizes that Deaf people are viewed as disabled and need to be “fixed.”

I believe that cochlear implants should be an option, but we have to respect people’s choices. It is only correct to have good understanding for the surgical procedure and the implant itself before making an important decision. 

It is also important to know there is happy and successful deaf and hard of hearing, with or without any implants.

Work Cited

Henshaw, Ashley. "The Pros And Cons Of Cochlear Implants." The Pros And Cons Of Cochlear Implants. N.p., 7 May 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

"Position Statement on Cochlear Implants." National Association of the Deaf. N.p., 03 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

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Laws

It is important that everyone knows their rights in America. There are laws that protect deaf and hard of hearing. It is good to know that you are always being protected.

EHDI: Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

EHDI is created to verify that every newborn child is tested for any degree of hearing loss before leaving the hospital. If the test is failed, there has to be a specialized screening test within 3 months. After that, if hearing loss is diagnosed, there has to be an intervention program that needs to completed by 6 months.

IDEA: Individual with Disabilities Act

IDEA created changes for the education of deaf children. It allowed free appropriate public education for children. It makes sure that children’s hearing aids are functioning properly, makes sure there are assistive devices, and there are interpreters when needed.

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act

ADA protects deaf and hard of hearing individuals from discrimination. Whether it would be for employment, transportation, or just any public or private place.

CVAA: Century Communications and Video Accessibility

CVAA is a federal communications act. This is increases the access to the internet for people with disabilities for modern communication. Guarentees reliable access to 911 and closed captions on tv programs.

ACAA: Air Carriers Access Act

ACAA helps provide any accommodations with a person with a disability. This ensure that they are communicating throughly with any individual. This also ensure that people are not charged extra for needed equipment such as assistive devices and also allowed to have them as carry ons. They ensure that service dogs are allowed with the person. They are captions on the television.

Work Cited

"Passengers with Disabilities." Department of Transportation. United States Department of Transportation, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

Berke, Jamie. "Legal Rights for Deaf or Hard of Hearing People." Verywell. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

"21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA)." Federal Communications Commission. N.p., 25 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

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ASL Classes

It is important for a deaf child and their family to learn American Sign Language. Learning ASL can help a child become more involved into the Deaf culture, they will be able to communicate with more people. Even though, a child has hearing aid or cochlear implant, I believe it is as important. There are always those “what if” moments. The child could possibly not want to use those certain devices. 

Benefits for deaf Children Learning ASL:

Helps a child improve their language development (ASL and English) whether it is reading or writing

Can improve a child spoken language skills

Can become part of the ASL Community

Benefits for Family Members learning ASL:

To communicate with child, sibling

To help deaf child practice their social skills

There are a lot of options on how to learn sign language. There are ASL classes at local community colleges such as Lone Star and Houston Community College. There are also free ASL classes offered at local churches, schools, etc. They are also private tutors. There are books. Lastly, the internet has websites such as signingsavvy.com, lifeprint.com or handspeak.com.

Links

Houston Community College sign language program:

http://www.hccs.edu/programs/programs-a-z/interpretingsign-language/

Lone Star Community College ASL Department:

http://www.lonestar.edu/sign-language-dept-cyfair.htm

Private Tutor:

https://www.wyzant.com/Houston_sign_language_tutors.aspx

Websites that post local ASL Classes:

http://www.houstondeafnetwork.com

http://www.deafnetwork.com

ASL Books:

Signing Naturally: Student Workbook, Units 1-6 (Book & DVDs)

American Sign Language Dictionary, Third Edition

Learn American Sign Language: Everything you need to start signing * complete beginner's guide * 800+ signs

Online ASL Dictionaries:

http://www.lifeprint.com

http://www.signingsavvy.com

http://www.handspeak.com

Work Cited

Nussbaum, Debra, and Susanne Scott. "Children with Cochlear Implants: Where Does Sign Language Fit In?" AudiologyOnline. N.p., 4 Mar. 2003. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

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Advice

For hearing parents who bore a deaf child, it is going to be hard to accept your new reality. Many parents go through the five stages of grief.

Denial: a defensive mechanism to protect ourselves pain

Anger: resentment or guilt for the pain and fear caused

Bargaining: asking yourself question such as “why me?” “why us” leading to the feeling of helplessness

Depression: constantly worrying, can lead to losing yourself

Acceptance: most important, having peace with the circumstances

90% of deaf babies are born to hearing parents. It can become very overwhelming. They quickly introduced to different information such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, amplification devices, sign language, education, and legal information. Many parents undergo a Stress and Cope method. That method, in other words, is using the energy of stress in order to cope with the situations. Coping is applying yourself to find resources, getting answers, and think creatively. It is getting you to the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Also many parents believe that their child is going to have no future as a deaf person. I would highly recommend to do research. Do research on successful Deaf people and Deaf culture. There is many successful deaf people in our history, who had reached success without half of the resources that there is now. There are many deaf students who go on college and make a name for themselves. They become teachers, lawyers, wives, or husbands because they are not any less of a human. The Deaf culture can also give parents comfort in knowing there is a big part of our society dedicated to Deaf people. There are not alone, there is growing support. 

Work Cited

Chute, Patricia M. "Coping and supporting your child who is deaf." ExpertBeacon. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Axelrod, Julie. "The 5 Stages of Grief & Loss." Psych Central. N.p., 19 Feb. 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Gilliver, Megan, Teresa Y. C. Ching, and Jessica Sjahalam-King. "When expectation meets experience: Parents’ recollections of and experiences with a child diagnosed with hearing loss soon after birth." International Journal of Audiology 52.Sup2 (2013): n. pag. Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. HHS Public Access. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Feher-Prout, T. "Stress and Coping in Families with Deaf Children." Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 1.3 (1996): 155-66. www.oup.silverchair-cdn.com. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

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Interview: Jenny’s Story

Jenny is 12 years old. She was born deaf and has the cochlear implant. I wanted to ask her a few questions about how she felt about her cochlear implant, but I could only get so much information from a 12 year old who was “busy” on her a cell phone. She communicates through ASL, so I had to translate the interview to English as best as I could.

Do you like your cochlear implant? Yes, no, or sometimes? Yes Why? It helps me hear. What does it help you hear? Examples such as door bells, dogs barking, people speaking? Yes, *showed me different types of clapping* I hear loud people, people laughing. Do you like using ASL? Yes Why? It's easy to learn and understand. English is harder to understand. Is it hard for you to read and write in English?

More so Do you sometimes wish you didn't have cochlear implant? Yes. I always have to change the battery.

If you didn't have to use your cochlear implant, would you be fine with it?

Yes, I would.

Do you like speaking or signing in ASL?

Both. I like speaking to hearing people and signing with deaf people.

Overall, are you happy with your cochlear implant?

More so

I know many Deaf people do not like cochlear implants, what do you think?

I know people have different ideas, but I am fine. 

Work Cited

Melgoza, Jenny. Personal Interview. 1 February, 2017.

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Interview: Ana’s Story

Ana has a 12 year old daughter, Jenny, who was born deaf. I wanted to know more about her experience of what it is like to raise a deaf child. I suggested we film an interview, but she did not feel comfortable being record, so I respected her privacy. Also this interview was in Spanish, so I had to translate to the best of my abilities. 

What is your daughter name and when was she born?

My daughter’s name is Jenny and she was born in December 31, 2004

When did you find out she was deaf?

After the second day she was born, they began to do hearing test on her and the nurse told me that she failed the hearing test. Right before we both left the hospital the next day, they checked and she failed the test again.

What was your next step?

They said that I had to wait two weeks to do the hearing test again. While I was at home with my baby, I knew something was wrong. She would be sleeping while there was loud noises, but she wouldn’t hear it. I would yell while she was in her crib and she would not wake up. After the two weeks, I took her to the hospital again, the doctor said she was fine and she had passed the hearing test.

After that, what happened?

I continued with my suspicions. I would try to talk to her, I would raise my voice and she would not respond. I took her to pediatrician. It was the same thing. They would take her test and tell me that she passed the test and she was fine. I was frustrated because I couldn’t understand why they kept telling me my daughter was passing the hearing test because I knew my daughter wasn’t “fine.” I knew she couldn’t hear.

When did she finally get diagnosed?

She was one year old. I took to her an audiologist. She took a more specialized test and the doctor told me that she was completely deaf.

How did you feel in that moment when they told you Jenny was deaf?

I felt bad and I was sad. Also, I honestly felt relieved that I was finally told what I knew for the past year. I would tell my husband that she was deaf, but he was denial. He would say, “she is used to the noise” or “she was fine.” It took longer for him to accept that she was deaf. Is not what I wanted, but this what I needed to know.

How long did it take you to accept that Jenny was deaf?

It took a long time. It took time to accept that she was never going to hear. I just knew we both had to move forward. I do sometimes wish that was able to hear because I feel like we are not able to connect as much as I liked to. I wish we could have better conversations since I am still learning ASL and I speak Spanish.

When did you find out about the Cochlear Implant?

Her audiologist told us about the cochlear implant. We had to verify that Jenny was a good candidate for the implant. We went through many test such as an scans, mri, and all the test need to make sure she was eligible.

Did the audiologist say what the cochlear implant could do for Jenny? Did she ever mention that the cochlear implant was a “cure for deafness?”

After all the scans and test, they gave me a diagnostic. They said that her internal nerves were good, her external nerves were not good, and she had a malformed cochleas. She said that she was a great candidate for the implant because of the results. If it wasn’t for that, the cochlear implant would have not worked on her. The doctors told me that they had recently operated a young girl with the same conditions as Jenny and the implant had worked, so she was able to hear. They had the same expectation, it would possibility work for Jenny too. They clearly told me that I should not create illusions because there was still a possibility that it could not help her. Thankfully, til this day, she is able to hear certain things. Whether it’d be a dog barking, baby crying, someone saying her name. Even though she is not able to carry an oral conversation, she is able to hear some things.

Do you believe it was a good idea that she learned ASL while also having a cochlear implant?

Yes

Why?

It is a good idea for any deaf person to know sign language. Jenny has her implant and is able to hear noises, but she likes to use sign language. She prefers to communicate through ASL. I took her to speech therapy, but she did not like it. She would get easily frustrated. The speech therapist would tell me that Jenny preferred use sign language. She encouraged me to use sign language because it is what Jenny wanted.

She does know how to say a few words?

Yes, she say many different words and phrases such as “Mama, Papa, I Love You, Thank You, More, Bye, Want.” That is her favorite word Want. She wants everything, this and that.

How would you feel if Jenny told you that she did not want to use her Cochlear Implant anymore?

I would feel worried because I feel that it helps her. Like I mentioned, she is able to hear noises. She is growing up now, she is going to want to start driving, and she is going to start becoming more independent. I believe that the implant is a form of “protection” ultimately to help her. If it was up to me, I would never want her to stop using it. When she becomes an adult and decides she does not want to use it anymore, I will respect her decision.

When did you start learning sign language?

I would go to the library and look at ASL books and videos online. We would have people come over, who teach ASL to babies, so I started learning from there too. Up until now, she is my teacher. As she learns, she teaches me. Also her school district offers temporary classes so parents and staff can learn ASL. I know I still have so much to learn.

Many Deaf people do not see their deafness as a disability, it is more of a cultural identity. How do you feel about that?

I agree, being deaf is a part of their life. It is their normal. They are able to achieve anything they want. They have futures. They can even be smarter than people with all five senses. They are normal, they are just missing one sense. That is not an excuse, they are capable of having bright futures.

If you had a friend who bore a deaf child, was is YOUR advice to them?

From a mother who has experience raising a deaf child, I would say it is going to be difficult to accept it, but you are going to have to accept it in order to move on. After you accept it, it is when you start looking for resources. There is a lot of help out there. Patience. It is not easy raising a deaf child, especially when they are babies. They are very scared, they do not like being alone. It can be exhausting, but these are the things you are willing to do for your child. From my experience raising Jenny, she would not like sleeping alone and she always afraid of being left by herself. She has completely changed me. I had no patience, but she helped me change for the better. She changed my attitude and taught me to become more patient.

What would you say if your friend believed that their deaf child would have no future?

I would say that they are wrong. If they want to study, there is a lot of help and support. They can make a future for themselves. I know there are a deaf teachers, deaf dancers, and famous pianist like Beethoven. He was deaf and look how much he accomplished. So don’t think that your child is going to nothing because they are deaf. If anything, they need their support from their parents.

Is there anything that you would like to add?

The only thing I can say as of now Jenny is a happy girl. She doesn’t ever question her deafness, like “why me?” or “why am I different?” Now that she’s older, she has become more social. She has friends at school now who are also deaf. She does not have to feel like she is alone. She is happy and that is what matters to me.

Work Cited

Melgoza, Ana. Personal Interview. 1 February, 2017.