Cochlear Implants in Children: Ethics and Choices

To research the sensitive issues connected with cochlear implants, the authors reviewed 439 surveys of parents with children who have had the procedure. They followed up with interviews of the parents of children who have had a year's experience using their implants, and also the children themselves. Their findings shape the core of this useful study. Cochlear Implants begins by explaining how implants convert sound into electric impulses that stimulate the brain. The second section details the ways parents coped with the discovery that their child was deaf. Parents share how they learned about cochlear implants and how they chose an implant center. They also detail their children's experiences after surgery, and their progress with language acquisition and in school. The final part treats the controversy associated with cochlear implants, particularly the reaction of the Deaf community and the ethics of implanting young children without their consent. Cochlear Implants provides recommendations for parents and professionals that complete it as the essential book on this burgeoning technology.