Subject(s)
Cochlear Implantation/methods , Communication , Deafness/surgery , Sign Language , Verbal Behavior , Age Factors , Child , Child, Preschool , Deafness/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Language Development , Male , Parent-Child Relations , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Speech , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time Factors , United KingdomABSTRACT
Cochlear implantation is now a well-established procedure for profoundly deaf children providing access to speech through hearing for many of them. Much attention has focused on which communication mode to adopt with this group of children but very little work has looked at the choices that parents make before and after cochlear implantation. This study, following on from two earlier studies, looked in depth at the experiences of 12 families. It finds that parents choose the most effective way of communicating with their child but retain as their goal, the development of oral communication skills. For many this is a journey in which different approaches are utilised at various stages in the child's development.
Subject(s)
Child Development , Cochlear Implants , Communication , Child , Child, Preschool , Choice Behavior , Cochlear Implantation , Deafness/surgery , Female , Goals , Humans , Male , Parent-Child Relations , Parents/psychology , SpeechABSTRACT
We sent questionnaires to families of all 288 children who had received cochlear implants at one center in the United Kingdom at least 5 years previously. Thus, it was a large, unselected group. We received 142 replies and 119 indicated that the child and family had changed their communication approach following cochlear implantation. In 113 cases the change was toward spoken language and in 6 cases the change was toward signed communication. Parents were asked to respond to statements about communication with their deaf child, and their responses indicated that parents wanted the most effective means of communication and one that their child would find most useful in the future. Findings that emerged from parents' comments indicated that the change toward greater use of spoken language was child-led and driven by increased audition. Parents also valued the contribution of signed communication.
