For Professionals
- Who are the children who are the focus of this research?
- What is the goal?
- How can cochlear implant centers participate?
- What is required of participating centers?
- Why is this research important?
In a recent survey, 70% of state deaf-blind projects reported an increase in the number of children with combined hearing and vision impairment who are receiving cochlear implants. Some states have seen an increase of more than 400%. Research to determine the effectiveness of cochlear implants for this population is limited. It consists primarily of single case studies (n = 10). The outcomes have been mixed, although some did report increased detection of environmental sounds and improved speech perception. More research with larger numbers of children is clearly needed, especially research that documents predictors of successful implantation to assist families in decision-making and to help professionals determine appropriate habilitation / intervention strategies.
