Cochlear Implants By Logan Morrell Cochlear Implant Facts

Cochlear Implants By: Logan Morrell

Cochlear Implant Facts • It is an electronic device that can help provide a sense of sound to a person with severe to profound hearing loss by providing direct electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve in the inner hear. • It does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds and help him or her to understand speech. • As of December 2012, approximately 324, 200 people have received implants. • Most children who receive implants are between two and six years old.

Pros and Cons Pros… • It can provide the individual with the ability to understand speech by simply listening through the implant. • It can help young children acquire speech, language, and social skills. Cons… • The process can be very expensive and insurance may not cover it. • The surgical procedure, although almost always safe, can have complications. • The individual has to learn how to interpret the sounds created by the implant which takes time and practice.

My Opinion Since I have never been deaf and do not know what it is like to not hear, my opinion is somewhat biased. I can not imagine not being able to hear my parents or teachers or friends. Therefore, I feel that if a person with severe to profound hearing loss has an opportunity to hear sounds again that they should go for it. The biggest hurdle would be the cost… especially if their insurance won’t pay. If they can afford it, it would provide them the opportunity to hear the world and communicate back with the hearing world.