Abstract The paper explains how the ear and hearing works and how the cochlear implant, the electronic audio mechanism, provides hearing in cases of sensor neural hearing loss. The paper outlines the fundamental workings of a cochlear implant and the need for a post-cochlear implant rehabilitation program. The paper also looks at the potential benefits of bilateral cochlear implants and explains when unilateral implants with FDA-approved cochlear implants and associated aural rehabilitation may be considered medically necessary.
From the Paper "The cochlear implant is an electronic audio mechanism that returns to the deaf partial hearing. The human ear consists of three main parts - the external ear, middle ear or tympanum, and the inner ear, or labyrinth. The external ear catches sound waves and channels them to the middle ear. This is brought about when sound travels along the ear canal of the external (middle) ear and causes vibration in the ear drum. Accordingly, in the middle ear is where sound waves set up vibrations that are converted into nerve impulses in the inner ear. These impulses are in turn, sent to the brain. The inner ear is also responsible for the sense of balance."
This paper argues in favor of the use of cochlear implants, which are prosthetic devices that enable the deaf to hear much better than previous innovations, such as hearing aids.
Abstract This paper explains the position supporting cochlear implants for deaf individuals. Generally, when successful, these implants can make deaf people, especially young children, much more able to distinguish auditory phenomena and, therefore, represent progress against the condition of deafness that is assumed to be a disability. The author points out that the argument opposing cochlear implants is more of a cultural than biomedical one; many members of the deaf community are content with their unique culture and do not regard deafness as a disorder to be cured. The paper concludes that the cochlear implants can enhance the lives of deaf people by allowing them to hear and not be segregated into a deaf word; therefore, the author favors the use of these implants.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Supporting View
Oppositional View
Personal Position
Conclusion
From the Paper "Personally, I think this issue needs to have more public advocacy so that people can really explore the arguments from both sides and see objective portrayals so that they can make up their own minds about supporting or opposing cochlear implants. Most of my personal feelings on this issue support cochlear implants from the perspective of
someone who is not deaf and therefore might not have the sort of empathy for the deaf community that someone inside or involved with this community may feel. That is, I feel dissonance personally at the notion of someone not wanting to hear if they are deaf because it seems that it would be much more convenient to recognize speech and other things in daily life."
Tags: signing, progress, segregation, dissonance, children
Abstract The paper defines a cochlear implant as a device which converts sound waves into electric signals and thus allows the hearing impaired to hear at a greater level than a hearing aid provides. The paper discusses the effects that cochlear implants have on childhood development, focusing on children from one to four years of age. The paper explores the issues of speech recognition/language, academic concerns, social ramifications and family relationships.
From the Paper "The University of Michigan performed the largest study ever on Cochlear implants and released the findings in January of last year. Researchers found that children who are implanted with cochlears before the age of four are able to achieve high levels of speech recognition and language skills. Dr. Paul Kileny establishes that research shows ?a significant difference in speech recognition between those who got their implants between the ages of 2 and 4 years, during the critical language development period, and those who received them later.? He concluded that people who receive the implant early in life get the greatest benefits."
Tags: deaf, American, Medical, Association, sign, language
Abstract The writer of this paper examines both sides of the cochlear implant debate while explaining how the device assists hearing impaired individuals by implanting a combination of a microphone, speech processor and a translator/simulator into the ear. While many experts hail this advancement in medicine and encourage individuals to consider the option of the implant, there are those who are major proponents of sign language and find the cochlear implant option unnatural and believe that sign language is an efficient method of communication.
From the Paper "Receiving a cochlear implant can seriously change a person's life and their lifestyle. There are many people who find the idea very rewarding and those who think that no one should ever change whom they are. Some people are unsure of whether or not their children should receive a surgery in order to change their hearing, they are unaware of the long term effects, and seem to be scared sometimes. They do not understand why a surgery is needed when signing is an effective way for their children to go through their lives, it is proven and it works rather well. Although the overall number of people who are opposed to the idea has gone down substantially."
Abstract A cochlear implant is an electronic device that is surgically embedded in the mastoid and an electrode array is surgically inserted in the cochlea. The device receives sound which is transmitted to the residual auditory nerve fibers in the cochlea. The author of the paper examines the effect of a cochlear implant on deaf children's cognitive development. The writer points to a number of research projects which show that the cognitive development of a deaf child is slower than that of a hearing child. The writer then goes on to examine the benefits such an implant brings to the deaf child.
From the Paper "There have been studies that compare the communication and intellectual differences among children with and without cochlear implants, and among normal-hearing children. Thirty to forty percent of children with profound hearing loss will present with developmental delays in differing areas compared to those who can hear. Children with hearing disabilities also have a difficult time learning abstract words such as jealous or before and after; they also have difficulty learning words with multiple meanings. Children who have had their implants before the age of 5 have shown progress in language development at rates close or equal to that of hearing children (Bat-Chava, Martin, and Kosciw, 2005). The goal of early cochlear implant is to lessen the language gap between deaf children and those who can hear. It has also been found that children who are trained in oral communication have far better results in speech perception and production than those who are trained in total communication. Oral communication makes use of hearing and speech to learn language. On the other hand, total communication involves the learning of language through sign and oral communication strategies. The use of oral communication is made possible for children with profound hearing loss through cochlear implants."
Abstract This paper looks at the invention of cochlear implants, which mimic the functioning of the inner ear. The paper explains how it works, its history, and the effectiveness and problems with the operations. Issues are discussed, including the deaf community's fears that the devices will destroy "deaf culture". Benefits and problems with the implants are looked at as well.
From the Paper "An implant mimics the functioning of the cochlea, a seashell-shaped organ in the inner ear lined with 30,000 hair cells. In a normal cochlea, the hair cells turn sound into impulses that are sent to the brain where they are interpreted as speech, music, or other auditory information about the world. In most deaf persons, auditory nerve fibers are intact, but the mechanism to receive the information through the hair cells is absent. Thus, regular hearing aids are ineffective as they typically only boost the amplitude of sound input. The cochlear implant is a wire that replaces a person's missing hair cells ? it wraps inside the cochlea and, attached to a small external computer typically worn on the person's belt, also translates sound into impulses sent to a transmitter that relays it back to the implant, that relays it to the brain. At this time, only one implant is being done per person, as developers of the device have not perfected how to coordinate the operation of two implants to provide accurate information relay to the brain."
Abstract The paper discusses the prevalence and education of deaf children and focuses on how deaf children of hearing parents suffer from a delay in developing the ability to understand false beliefs and take into account other people's desires and thoughts. The paper then discusses the benefits of cochlear implants over hearing aids but emphasizes the importance of encouraging deaf children to engage in conversations among their peers and within their families. The paper maintains this can contribute to a deaf child's overall development as a functional member of society.
Outline:
Deafness in America
Theory of the Mind Development of Children with and without Cochlear Implants
Level of Cognitive Development in Educational Settings of Deaf Children with and without Cochlear Implants
From the Paper "Imagine a world without sound. For many, to be unable to hear noise, voice, or music is almost unfathomable. For 28 million Americans, however, the inability to hear is a state that one has to live with each day. Two to three out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or have difficulty of hearing. Nine out of ten of these children are born to parents who have normal hearing (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2008). Nearly 10,000 of these children have received cochlear implants."
Tags: hearing, aids, speech, sign, language, theory, of, mind
Abstract This paper defines cochlear implants, describes how they help the hearing impaired, traces their history, offers drawbacks and benefits, and discusses cost, the installation procedure and general information. It is geared to someone with no knowledge of the cochlear implant.
An annotated bibliography covering literacy education, language structure and acquisition, cognitive issues, and learning and teaching strategies and tools
Abstract This paper covers many of the topics dealing with the education of the hearing impaired. It looks at several of the methods of communication employed by the hearing impaired (oral, sign, etc.), deaf culture, technology for the deaf (cochlear implants, text telephones (TTY), hearing aids, etc.), teaching strategies for working with deaf students in a mainstream classroom, interpreters, books containing deaf characters, and strategies for improving literacy (reading and writing). Included in the paper are an introduction, a detailed annotated bibliography divided into the sections listed in the subtitle, and a conclusion. Also included are an appendix of additional sources and a series of tables for quick review of what is covered in the annotated bibliography.
From the Paper "The education of deaf students has been an issue of debate for centuries. Some people believe that deaf students, preschool through college level, should be in a self-contained classroom or special school. Others believe that mainstreaming deaf students into a regular classroom is the best way to prepare these people to function in the hearing world. The Education for All Act of 1975, mandating that children should be provided education in the least restrictive environment, has led to more deaf children entering regular public schools."
Abstract This paper explains that otoacoustic emissions or OAEs are low-intensity sounds produced by the normal cochlea and by the cochlear outer hair cells as they expand and contract. The knowledge of the function of OAEs has provided new breakthroughs and insights into early intervention and treatment of deafness. The paper then describes the four types of OAEs, as well as ways to test, assess, and measure OAEs. Additionally, the paper discusses their clinical use and prognostic value. The paper concludes that their overall recognized value is in supplying information about cochlear function, which indicates hearing problems. This unique capability holds many promises.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Anatomy
Types
SOAEs
TOAEs
DPOAEs
SFOAEs
Measurements
Clinical Use
Low-Level OAEs Predict Susceptibility to Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
OAEs Can Cause Hearing Loss without Ear Damage
Recreational Hearing Loss
Tympanic Perforations
Retrocochlear Dysfunction
DPOAEs in Older Adults
Hearing Conservation Programs
Prognostic Value of OAEs
Perspectives
OEAs and Hearing Conservation Programs
Conclusion
From the Paper "It has been proposed that OAEs are located in the peripheral portion of the eighth cranial nerve. These emissions appear to perform an instant modulation of frequency in the basilar membrane. Experts have established that directional hearing and noise reduction depend on inter-aural difference. They have, therefore, found it difficult to believe that a process could be working against these factors. Sound used to elicit an emission is transmitted through the outer ear. There, the auditory stimulus is changed from an acoustic to a mechanical signal at the tympanic membrane."
