Do Cochlear Implants Work? All About Audiology Podcast Episode

The amazing Dr. Lilach Saperstein invited me to be on her podcast “All About Audiology Podcast” to talk about an important topic- do cochlear implants work? Dr. Saperstein is transcribed the entire episode on allaboutaudiology.com -yay accessibility!

Disclaimer: All information is solely my own thoughts and opinions. I do not speak on behalf of my employers, educational institutions, or professional organizations past, present, or future. The information provided is intended for general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional audiological and/or medical advice. Audiological care can be very individualized so it’s important to discuss any problems, concerns, or questions you have with your provider.

Download the episode here:

Itunes: All About Audiology Podcast Do Cochlear Implants Work? Episode 25 with Dr. Lindsay Cockburn

Stream or download the episode on AllAboutAudiology.com

Preview the Episode:

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“If you have better hearing in the low pitches or low frequencies but you don’t have ANY hearing in the high pitches or high frequencies then you’re not going to be able to hear the different consonant sounds and the differences between words. So no matter how loud a hearing aid is you’ll never hear clearly unless you get a cochlear implant. So that has been changing too so someone could actually get a cochlear implant if they had normal or mild hearing loss in the low pitches but it went down to the severe to profound hearing loss range in the high pitches.” Have you heard my interview on @allaboutaudiologypodcast on “do cochlear implants work?” In this clip I’m talking about changes to candidacy criteria. Sometimes this hearing loss I’m describing is called a “ski slope” because it goes down so steeply in the mid- to high- frequencies. Older children (usually ~4+) and adults with this kind of hearing loss can use hybrid cochlear implants. A hybrid CI uses acoustic amplification (a hearing aid) AND electrical stimulation (a CI) in the same ear!! It’s pretty amazing how much things are changing and how many more people were able to help with cochlear implants these days. I’m the episode we talk a lot about candidacy criteria, cochlear implant pre-evaluations, how we make sure we’d never ever implant someone who didn’t need one, language choices and privilege, and realistic expectation. Cochlear implant outcomes can be estimated based on history and supports including extensive rehabilitation, but at the end of the day part of it is luck and circumstances just like everything in life 🤗 #cochlearimplant #cochlearimplants #cochlearimplantkids #cochlearimplantjourney #cochlearimplantsrock #cochlearimplantsurgery #allaboutaudiologypodcast #audiology #hearingloss #hybridcochlearimplant #cochlearimplantation #cochlearkid #cochlearimplantkid

A post shared by Lindsay Cockburn (@listenwithlindsay) on Nov 3, 2019 at 8:41pm PST

Topics Discussed

• What is a cochlear implant and who is it for?
• Do cochlear implants really work? Who do they work better for? What does it take to get a cochlear implant to work?
• Sign Language/ASL and Cochlear Implants
• Auditory Verbal Therapy/Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (AVT certified LSLS)
• How speech therapy has changed over the years and now kids love it
• Device failures and re-implantation
• Hybrid Cochlear Implants
• and much much more!

If you or your child is getting a Cochlear Implant

Be sure to check out Dr. Saperstein’s post on Cochlear Implants: Tips for Surgery and Activation.

Be sure to subscribe to the All About Audiology podcast and follow us on Instagram for more

@AllAboutAudiologyPodcast on Instagram

@ListenWithLindsay on Instagram