Cochlear Implant Online

Looking at each deaf child as an individual under the...
Cochlear Implant Online There has been discussion about looking at a child as an individual. Some think that ASL and spoken language are the only two options to meet the child's needs. The spoken language approach is actually very broad. There are several different methodologies to achieve spoken language and, ...
Sat, May 31 2008

Alex’s Story
Cochlear Implant Online Alex Warren is a high school senior with a cochlear implant who learned to speak with the help of Cued Speech.  (For more information on Cued Speech, visit the National Cued Speech Association website.)  Next year, Alex will begin working toward a college degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a top engineering school.  ...
Wed, May 21 2008

Relationship Differences Based on Methodologies
Cochlear Implant Online A friend of mine sent me a very interesting article about a research study on the mental health of deaf adolescents resulting from communication mode used with the child's mother: Hearing mothers and their deaf children: the relationship between early, ongoing mode match and subsequent mental health functioning in adolescence.  Note ...
Thu, May 15 2008

Lily’s Story
Cochlear Implant Online Lily Barrett is able to listen and speak with the help of her cochlear implant. She is currently a senior in high school, and looks forward to continuing her academic success next year at Kenyon College. Lily was kind enough to allow me to share her ...
Wed, May 14 2008

How do you define your deafness?
Cochlear Implant Online When I was in middle of writing this entry last night, I decided to check to see if there were any new comments on this website. Dang! Elizabeth just posted the EXACT same topic that I was in middle of writing! I'm so convinced that we both ...
Tue, May 13 2008

What’s In a Name?
Cochlear Implant Online "Watching this film certainly brought up some issues - but one quote jumped out at me. When Marlee’s character says (to the best of my ability to remember) “What does that make him, a hearing child who can’t hear, or a deaf child who can hear?” (as regarding getting a ...
Tue, May 13 2008

Lindsey’s Story
Cochlear Implant Online Lindsey and I met each other through HearingExchange on Facebook several months ago and we got to know each other through sending each other messages. Lindsey has a very interesting perspective as a CI user as she was raised with the oral approach but immersed herself in the deaf ...
Mon, May 12 2008

Support the Hearing Aid Tax Credit
Cochlear Implant Online Unlike cochlear implants, which are covered by Medicare and most insurance plans, hearing aids are not covered by Medicare, or under the vast majority of state mandated benefits, according to Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). 71.4% of hearing aid purchases were purchased out of consumers' pockets, according to ‘MarkeTrak’. In ...
Sun, May 11 2008

You’re putting yourself in a losing battle…
Cochlear Implant Online Today, a friend of mine and I went to an area outside of Atlanta that is very rural, and the general population of people are staunch Republican supporters. My friend had a Barack Obama bumper sticker on the back of her car to show her proud support for ...
Sat, May 10 2008

Hear and Now
Cochlear Implant Online "Hear and Now," a documentary film by Irene Taylor Brodsky, is playing all this month on HBO.  The film tells the story of Ms. Brodsky's parents, both deaf since birth, as they embark on a journey of hearing by receiving cochlear implants in their mid-sixties. I was fortunate enough to see ...
Sat, May 10 2008

SO Unacceptable, but it does not happen to most people in...
Cochlear Implant Online I recently saw this video through another blog, and I was amazed by how deaf children were being taught to speak! This video depicts a boy counting fingers for a math assignment and the teacher puts his hands down thinking that the boy was attempting to use "sign language." ...
Thu, May 08 2008

Information Drop #1 – “Silence Isn’t Golden”
Cochlear Implant Online Learning about a child's diagnosis of deafness as soon as possible is very crucial in order to be able to take advantage of wonderful early intervention programs such as Auditory-Verbal therapy or Auditory-Oral therapy. The longer parents wait to verify their children's hearing loss, the more barriers their children ...
Sun, May 04 2008

Reasons for CIs before 12 months…
Cochlear Implant Online A friend of mine sent me a very interesting research about why getting CIs is a very valuable option and why children should receive them before 12 months: Cochlear implant candidacy in the United States: Prevalence in children 12 months to 6 years of age. Bradham T, Jones J. Vanderbilt University, Hearing and ...
Sun, May 04 2008

Who inspired my parents to get me a CI?
Cochlear Implant Online I'm going to chime in about Elizabeth's post, "It Just Takes One Person..." It is very true that awareness of cochlear implants is well increased simply by "word of mouth." Even meeting a person with cochlear implants creates better awareness. My parents certainly heard about cochlear implants ...
Sat, May 03 2008

Interesting Facts About Hearing Loss…
Cochlear Implant Online I had the opportunity to participate in Cochlear's teleconference today to hear about Better Hearing and Speech Month from its participating speakers. I learned many incredible facts that I think are worth sharing: Cochlear recently administered a survey to 506 people - 200 people with hearing loss and 306 people ...
Fri, May 02 2008

Ellie’s Ears Update 5/1/08
Cochlear Implant Online Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone, for the enormous outpouring of support for Ellie's Ears.  The response has been incredible!  We've received tons of positive feedback from parents of children with cochlear implants, adult CI users, school librarians, teachers, and other hearing loss professionals.  Ellie's Ears by the numbers: 24... hours since the book .....
Thu, May 01 2008

NEW! Children’s Book Featuring a Character with Cochlear...
Cochlear Implant Online Cochlear Implant Online is proud to announce the debut of Elizabeth Boschini's (author) and Rachel Chaikof's (illustrator and bilateral CI recipient) book, Ellie's Ears. PRESS RELEASE - Today’s children with hearing loss may surprise you! With the help of cochlear implants, digital hearing aids, and specialized instruction in listening and ...
Thu, May 01 2008

It’s Better Hearing and Speech Month!
Cochlear Implant Online Cochlear Implant Online just rolled out its red carpet to celebrate the first day of Better Hearing and Speech Month and the release of Elizabeth's and Rachel's children's book, Ellie's Ears! For those of you who would like to join our celebration, Rachel has created a merchandise design that is ...
Thu, May 01 2008

Can CI users go through metal detectors?
Cochlear Implant Online There was recently a discussion on a hearing loss group about whether CI users can go through the airport security machines or not. Quite a few people thought that they cannot go through the metal detectors at all and that they have to be patted down. Some also ...
Tue, Apr 29 2008

Look at all points of view… not just one, not just two,...
Cochlear Implant Online I'm finally taking a little breather, not a lot, just some because I just got though the midterms week. However, I still have a lot coming up until the end of the quarter at the end of May. I have big research papers and projects coming up for ...
Thu, Apr 24 2008

Talk and Play, Everyday!: Quiet Time
Cochlear Implant Online From time to time, I’d like to post some of my lesson plans for listening and spoken language activities.  For those of you with D/HH children, I’d love for you to try them out and give me your feedback on how they work.  For those of you who are new ...
Thu, Apr 24 2008

Instant Experts
Cochlear Implant Online No matter where you fall on the communication spectrum, I think we can all relate to the unpleasant experience of meeting what I like to call an "instant expert."  You know them.  They're the people who see you signing, or wearing your HAs/CIs, wearing some deaf-related apparel, etc. and just ...
Tue, Apr 22 2008

“Sweet Nothing In My Ear”: Rachel’s Opinion
Cochlear Implant Online Elizabeth gave very good thoughts about Sweet Nothing in My Ear, and I agree with pretty much most of her criticisms. I'll chime in my thoughts as someone who's looking through the glasses of the CI community. I thought the way the controversy was presented in the film ...
Mon, Apr 21 2008

“Sweet Nothing In My Ear”: Elizabeth’s Opinion
Cochlear Implant Online I'm typing this as I watch tonight's CBS/Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation of "Sweet Nothing in My Ear" a movie about cochlear implants.  These are my observations: Not realistic.  The husband speaks as he signs to his wife, whose character communicates 100% in sign.  I know it saves the production money ...
Mon, Apr 21 2008

Article about an adult CI user
Cochlear Implant Online This article was recently published in The Washington Post, and I enjoyed reading it very much because I share some of his experiences as a CI user. I can relate to his views, such as when he said that his implant changed his life because he has the ability ...
Sun, Apr 20 2008

Interesting Review about “Sweet Nothing in My Ear”
Cochlear Implant Online This article is worth sharing as it depicts the viewpoint of a person who hears normally and is not involved with any kind of deafness, and it's what most hearing people's reactions are when they hear that CIs are at all controversial.
Sat, Apr 19 2008

Talk and Play, Everyday!: Music
Cochlear Implant Online From time to time, I’d like to post some of my lesson plans for listening and spoken language activities.  For those of you with D/HH children, I’d love for you to try them out and give me your feedback on how they work.  For those of you who are new ...
Fri, Apr 18 2008

Is a Term of Bilingual at Deaf Education Proper?
Cochlear Implant Online I question if a term, bilingual, is proper description for bilingual education at Deaf schools.  Bilingual educational system is widely used at some US schools where large number of students comes from Spanish-speaking families so it is proper term for bilingual.  The American Heritage College dictionary terms for: Bilingual - ...
Thu, Apr 17 2008

Guidelines to the success of AVT and Cochlear Implants
Cochlear Implant Online My parents didn’t take a risk when they chose to pursue cochlear implants and AVT. They followed AVT’s guidelines correctly, and they were very involved parents working very hard to help me succeed. There are several factors that allow me to hear and speak well and to be who ...
Wed, Apr 16 2008

Decisions of the Early Years
Cochlear Implant Online I've been keeping a close eye on the criticism about me on other blogs, both in comments and in entries in the past few weeks. It's very understandable why I would face criticism as I'm one of the very first successful CI users implanted as a toddler. When ...
Wed, Apr 16 2008

A Weeping ASL Deaf User
Cochlear Implant Online As I overcame for being a weeping ASL Deaf (of Hearing parents or DOH) user, I am seeing a new era of Deaf History that will never be the same as my generation of DOH.  Since Deaf Culture that relies on ASL is getting smaller and smaller than ever while ...
Mon, Apr 14 2008

Talk and Play, Everyday!: The Best Things in Life Are Free
Cochlear Implant Online From time to time, I’d like to post some of my lesson plans for listening and spoken language activities.  For those of you with D/HH children, I’d love for you to try them out and give me your feedback on how they work.  For those of you who are new ...
Sun, Apr 13 2008

Bilingual, Trilingual, Quatrilingual
Cochlear Implant Online I met this very cute young boy a few years ago when he and his parents came to the US from Germany to learn about Auditory-Verbal therapy. He had received bilateral implants when he was 10 months old and was three when he visited us and my Auditory-Verbal center. ...
Sun, Apr 13 2008

Ally’s Story: A Reflection of Sound & Its Impact on Life
Cochlear Implant Online I recently met Ally through the Cochlear Awareness Network, and we're just getting to know each other by corresponding through e-mail. She's currently a bilateral cochlear implant recipient and a pediatric cochlear implant audiologist. Here's Ally's story: Conquering my fear of silence was once a freighting thought, Many nerves and ...
Sat, Apr 12 2008

Patty’s Story
Cochlear Implant Online Patty and I met each other on Facebook about two years ago and conversed with each other on IM for awhile, sharing our stories about our lives. Here is her story: I was born hearing. At the age of six months, I was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, very deadly for ...
Fri, Apr 11 2008

Immeasurably Blessed
Cochlear Implant Online It's been a long week... with tests, ongoing projects, and a nasty stomach bug, I've been running on less than 100%.  Nevertheless, when my alarm went off early this morning, the sound was music to my ears.  Why?  Every Friday, I spend the day with the my favorite 3-5 year old kiddos ...
Fri, Apr 11 2008

My mother sat on me!
Cochlear Implant Online I'm switching my head back and forth. "AAAAAAH!!! AAAAAAAAHH!!" I'm screaming on top of my lungs. I'm trying to push my mother's chest away from me. I'm crying hysterically. My mother's hands are on my head. She's sitting on me tightly. She's ...
Fri, Apr 11 2008

Hearing in Pitch Black
Cochlear Implant Online At that moment, I'm in a world of no color. Just pitch black. I living with reliance on smell, touch, and hearing for just that moment. "I'm looking through the focus scope," said my photo professor, "I'm lowering the aperture. There! Now, I can see ...
Wed, Apr 09 2008

AGBell advocates for an interpreter…
Cochlear Implant Online I recently received a newsletter from AGBell. One item in their news was about helping to resolve a case involving a refusal of a hospital to provide an interpreter requested by a deaf patient. Talk about the ASL deaf community thinking AGBell is against ASL, and right here, ...
Wed, Apr 09 2008

Talk and Play, Everyday!: Grammatical Morphemes
Cochlear Implant Online From time to time, I’d like to post some of my lesson plans for listening and spoken language activities.  For those of you with D/HH children, I’d love for you to try them out and give me your feedback on how they work.  For those of you who are new ...
Mon, Apr 07 2008

Bless Your Heart
Cochlear Implant Online "Someone once noted that a Southerner can get away with the most awful kind of insult, as long as it's prefaced with the words "Bless his heart." As in, "Bless his heart, if they put his brain on the head of a pin, it'd roll around like a BB on ...
Sun, Apr 06 2008

Open-minded Deaf person’s views
Cochlear Implant Online The other day, I received a very heartwarming comment under the entry, It's different..., from Open-minded Deaf person. His comment meant a lot to me because he, as a deaf person who was raised with ASL, understands the importance of CIs and the oral/AVT approach today for me and ...
Sat, Apr 05 2008

Talk and Play, Everyday!: Lunchtime
Cochlear Implant Online From time to time, I'd like to post some of my lesson plans for listening and spoken language activities.  For those of you with D/HH children, I'd love for you to try them out and give me your feedback on how they work.  For those of you who are new ...
Fri, Apr 04 2008

The Other Side of the Table
Cochlear Implant Online  Before beginning clinical rotations, Speech Pathology majors at my university must complete an Oral Proficiency Exam.  Basically, it's a screening of the student's communication abilities (do they have any articulation errors, are there fluency problems, etc.) and a hearing screening.  Never having had speech therapy as a child, I was ...
Thu, Apr 03 2008

It’s different…
Cochlear Implant Online I saw the comments and debate on the "Sweet Nothing in My Ear" website, and I'd like to share comments that I appreciated as these people feel the same way as I do. We value sounds very much. We understand how important sounds are to us because we ...
Wed, Apr 02 2008

Inside a Cochlear Implant Surgery
Cochlear Implant Online Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to witness a cochlear implant surgery.  I can hardly find words to describe the absolute wonder and awe I felt as I stood, three feet from the operating table, using a high-powered microscope to peer into the cochlea of a little girl with ...
Tue, Apr 01 2008

We face odds every minute of the day…
Cochlear Implant Online When we get in the car, whether we are a passenger or a driver, we are at risk of getting into an accident and becoming paralyzed. If we live in Florida during hurricane season, we are at risk of experiencing a hurricane and losing all our property. If we ...
Mon, Mar 31 2008

Yes, You Can, Heather!: The Story of Heather Whitestone,...
Cochlear Implant Online Hi, everyone!  It's Elizabeth, glad to be here joining with Rachel in blogging about the miracle of listening, spoken language, and cochlear implants in the lives of today's young people with hearing loss.  Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and I am always on the lookout for ...
Mon, Mar 31 2008

My sister’s story
Cochlear Implant Online Jessica asked me to post her story on my blog that she originally wrote for school. Before you read her story and start throwing in criticism, let me explain - Jessica's only in sixth grade, and she has NO background in the deaf community except for what she saw ...
Sat, Mar 29 2008

Being an advocate…
Cochlear Implant Online What a nice start of my first week of third quarter! I sent my photo to Savannah, my university's main campus, last week as the photo that I sent was chosen for my university's annual photography publication. Last Monday afternoon, I got an e-mail telling me that my ...
Wed, Mar 26 2008