Cochlear Implantation Recovery: A Guide to Auditory and Speech Rehabilitation
In my previous article, I discussed Cochlear implants as a crucial pathway, for hearing and speech rehabilitation, in those born without a sense of hearing. As this device is placed in the innermost ear, sound signalling to the brain is established. This, however, completes the mechanical aspect of it. In practice, it takes training and adjustment to gain the ability to hear and start speech.
When does the Cochlear Implantation device start functioning?
The device is activated at 2 to 4 weeks after surgery. This involves programming the loudness to the patient’s comfort levels. Then, stimulation with sound is done, where the child first listens to a real voice. This experience is often emotional and brings tears of joy in the eyes of the parents and family!!
Training :
Aggressive and intensive training is required for a successful transition to fully achieve hearing-speaking abilities. Those who lost the ability to hear after learning languages fare better and with more ease, as compared to the children who are born with deafness and never learned languages. It is important to follow this training sincerely and regularly. It is recommended to stay in touch with your speech and language therapist even after the training period.
Parents: How to support your child?
Parents play a very important role in this phase. Effective rehabilitation can help the child achieve their speech and language milestones and be at par with children of their age. This requires training, cooperation, patience, and a positive environment at home and school. It is important to stay motivated and help the child use the device. The children who do not use the device regularly or drop its use during the early post-operative period, are the ones who do not achieve good speech-language development, despite successful surgery.
It is an up-hill task for anyone, let alone a child. So, a happy outcome requires support and love from parents, family and community of the child after a cochlear implantation. If you know anyone going through this journey, let them know that they are not alone in this. Let’s build an inclusive and supportive community for everyone.
