5 Way To Treat Hearing Loss In Children

4. Cochlear Implants

Potential advantages of the cochlear implant include better distance hearing, comfortable loudness growth, and clearer, more understandable speech. Experts say people with cochlear implants can hold normal conversations, hear in noisy environments such as restaurants, use the telephone, work, take part in sports, attend school, and even play musical instruments. Early screening and implementation of a hearing device, such as a cochlear implant, have medical, financial and social benefits. “Cochlear implants, coupled with auditory therapy, can help young children more quickly gain the speech, language and social skills needed successfully mainstream into regular classrooms with their normal-hearing peers,” said Patricia Trautwein, Au.D., director of auditory education and training for Advanced Bionics. Nearly half of all cochlear implant recipients are children. Children benefit most from a cochlear implant when their hearing loss is detected in its beginning stages and they receive early intervention and treatment. Adult candidates for a cochlear implant are most often those who are postlingually deaf in both ears. These individuals typically receive limited benefit from hearing aids.