A cochlear
implant is a small, electronic device that can help provide a sense of sound to
a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant is
surgically placed under the skin behind the ear. A cochlear implant does not
restore or create normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful
auditory understanding of the environment and help him or her to understand
speech. Since 1990, thousands of children and adults have received cochlear
implants. Cochlear implants were designed for persons with severe to profound
hearing losses that obtain little benefit from hearing aids.
Cochlear
implants are the only medical technology able to functionally restore one of
the five senses. Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sound, cochlear implants
are electronic devices that bypass the damaged part of your inner ear so that you
can hear your best.
Here is a clear video that briefly demonstrates hearing, hearing loss and how a CI functions.
“It’s been said that the cochlear implant is
10% hardware and 90% software. And the software is what you do with the device
and involves the family and the Auditory Verbal program that emphasizes
listening and speaking skills. Cochlear implants
are tools, not miracles. But the results can be miraculous with the right
software in place.
The journey
starts with knowledge steps whether you are an adult with hearing loss or helping
your child be successful with learning to listen and use spoken language.