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What are the cons of a cochlear implant?

What is your opinion on a cochlear implant vs ASL?

  • Know that this is an extremely controversial topic. I was just wondering which one do you believe in. I have been taking ASL classes and it has been interesting and we learned a fair amount about the cochlear implant. Recently my mom and I saw a boy who had two cochlear implants and spoke very well. (I am predicting he got them in when he was very young.) I asked my mom what she thought of the implants and she said that if she had a deaf child she would most definitely would have had the cochlear implants put in. I don't really know how I feel. I watched a PBS movie in my ASL class that showed both points of view and I understand that it could very well make the Deaf community slowly die out. What do you think? Would you do the cochlear implants or would you teach your child ASL? Why?

  • Answer:

    People don't get it that cochlear implants does not work for everyone. If parents wants their child to not fall behind - close as any hearing children. ASL should start early at infant -all the way. If implanted early as 6 months - or so, cochlear implant is too new for the child because they were born deaf and used to being deaf. What if cochlear implants does not work and the baby has not learned a language? Better start ASL! ASL and cochlear implants both ways - will not make the child fall behind! Most audiologists or those recommending cochlear implants will tell you not to use sign language because they think the child will stick with ASL. Do not worry about that, if the cochlear implants works, the child will hear and speak fine. They will require tremendous of speech and hearing therapy, if using ASL, it would help speed up the understanding. Parents need to do research on these and decide. Hope more parents will let their babies use sign language - why not, most hearing babies are using sign language cause they knew it helps their babies develop language much earlier. So why not do that too?

sweetpea... at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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Deaf people tend to have negative feelings towards implantation. They see it as cultural genocide. A way for the hearing world to separate us and make us more like them. I personally agree, but not in the entirety as there are exceptions. The exceptions though are few and far between -- they are not the majority by any means. This is true because those who are implanted are typically implanted early on. They do not have the ability to experience deafness. Some say this is not true, but if you grow up as a hearing person using speech and hearing all your life then you are clearly not experiencing anything that goes along with being deaf. You are essentially, more or less, hearing. The exception I have seen are deaf who still sign and still mix with other deaf after being implanted. Like I said though, exceptions like that are few and far between. In reality deaf who are implanted before adulthood are not deaf either physically or culturally. The evidence for this is the fact that those who have depended on CI all their life typically have issues when CI fails. When a CI fails and the person goes back to being deaf they are brought into an unfamiliar world, lost essentially. They do not even know how to get around, interact, communicate without communication issues, etc. And that's because they have been all their life, physically and culturally, hearing.

jasin

If I had a deaf child I would most defiantly NOT implant my child. I would not put them through needless risky surgery Sign language no matter which country you live in is rich and vibrant. It is an official language in many countries as it should be. Obviously the level and location of hearing loss depends on whether they are suitable for an implant. Language acquisition before deafness can depend on how well they speak afterwards. There isn't a clear cut answer in many cases. Some parents aren't really given a full informed choice, only the benefits of an implant and not having spoken to any deaf people. I am for informed choice and as I have been educated by Deaf I can see their point of view more clearly. A TOD I uesed to work with was very pro implant but he hadn't much signing experience. I am for signing and informed choice.

Meg

idk

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