Hi Laura,

I am glad that all is going well medically with Brian.  It seems like you have a great surgeon who seems to want you to understand the process and procedure -- which is a very lucky thing indeed.  Not all surgeons are that way.

 

I do want to caution you, though, that a cochlear implant does not make a person "hearing."  It is a sensory device that transmits auditory information.  With perseverance, Brian can learn to use the device to perceive and utilize sound in a meaningful manner so that he can develop language.  I sit on my state's cochlear implant workgroup and none of the individuals from CI manufacturers or from CI centers would ever tell a person that this device makes an individual hearing.  The main focus of our group is to get school districts, early interventionists, and CI center staff "speaking the same language," so to speak so that educational programming for our kiddos will be beneficial and allow them to learn and grow.  Although there are philosophical differences between many in our workgroup, the one thing we agree upon is that deaf children with cochlear implants are still deaf children -- but they have different educational needs than deaf children without cochlear implants.

 

Laura, you have come a long way since Brian's first diagnosis and I commend you for that.  Brian is a lucky boy, indeed to have such a persistent mom and a supportive family.  I'm keeping you all in my prayers.  Surgery isn't easy, for sure, but I have faith that you and your family will see Brian through this and many other milestones in his life.

 

Have joy!

 

Dawn

 

P.S.  I read Tina's post about being sure that Brian and the family learn sign language.  Many CI centers strongly discourage the use of sign language for fear that the child will opt for the "easier" option of signing instead of speaking.  I don't know your CI center/surgeon's philosophy about the use of sign language, but I wanted to make sure you knew that.  Personally, I know individuals who are deaf (profoundly deaf -- no implant) who speak and sign (and do both well).  However, the two schools of thought (oral v. manual) rarely get along in academic circles -- which is a shame because its the kids who could benefit from as much language intervention as possible.