The Benefits of Cochlear Implants for Children
Tatjana C. Johnson
University of Arizona
People with post or pre-lingual deafness and hearing loss face many challenges with living in a world that thrives on listening and spoken communication. There is the difficulty in acquiring speech skills as well as the often negative impacts on one’s psychological state. Deaf and hard of hearing peoples can also experience social, employment and educational obstacles as related to their accompanying condition. With advances in technology, however, we have found ways to alleviate the effects of hearing loss. The advent and improvements of the device known as the Cochlear Implant have positively affected the lives of those living with hearing loss. Children …show more content…
It can also be detrimental to psychological well-being and socialization. It can start as young as infancy. Infants, particularly if their hearing problems are not caught early enough, can suffer from attachment issues with parents who do not know how to communicate with them. This can lead to isolation (Mason & Mason, 2007). The limits set on the capacity for self-expression can exeberate feelings of depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. Behavioral disturbances and low self-esteem may also be present in children who experience hearing loss (Kaland & Salvatore, …show more content…
This has been especially true for children who have received CIs. Because of implantation in early childhood, many children can develop and thrive as successfully as children born without hearing problems. They can acquire oral speech and communication that would have been otherwise difficult or impossible for them to have picked up. As simple as being able to hear and speech may seem, it has very profound effects on a person, including their mental well-being, ability to socialize and bond with others, and to achieve the highest levels of academic and career success. Children who may have otherwise struggled in a world they could not understand deserve to reap the benefits of
Tatjana C. Johnson
University of Arizona
People with post or pre-lingual deafness and hearing loss face many challenges with living in a world that thrives on listening and spoken communication. There is the difficulty in acquiring speech skills as well as the often negative impacts on one’s psychological state. Deaf and hard of hearing peoples can also experience social, employment and educational obstacles as related to their accompanying condition. With advances in technology, however, we have found ways to alleviate the effects of hearing loss. The advent and improvements of the device known as the Cochlear Implant have positively affected the lives of those living with hearing loss. Children …show more content…
It can also be detrimental to psychological well-being and socialization. It can start as young as infancy. Infants, particularly if their hearing problems are not caught early enough, can suffer from attachment issues with parents who do not know how to communicate with them. This can lead to isolation (Mason & Mason, 2007). The limits set on the capacity for self-expression can exeberate feelings of depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. Behavioral disturbances and low self-esteem may also be present in children who experience hearing loss (Kaland & Salvatore, …show more content…
This has been especially true for children who have received CIs. Because of implantation in early childhood, many children can develop and thrive as successfully as children born without hearing problems. They can acquire oral speech and communication that would have been otherwise difficult or impossible for them to have picked up. As simple as being able to hear and speech may seem, it has very profound effects on a person, including their mental well-being, ability to socialize and bond with others, and to achieve the highest levels of academic and career success. Children who may have otherwise struggled in a world they could not understand deserve to reap the benefits of