Preparing Your Child for a Cochlear Implant

Is your child approved for cochlear implants? That is a pretty big step in your child’s hearing loss journey! Depending upon the age of your little one, they may not be old enough to receive their first implant. But, there is still a lot you can do in preparation for that big day. 

It may feel like you're waiting a long time for your child to receive their cochlear implants. As a parent, you might start to wonder, what can you be doing to help prepare your child while you wait. There is no time to waste! Here is what you can do that will best prepare your child for the best possible outcome.  

1. Have your child wear their hearing aids all waking hours.

Maximize time with hearing technology. if those little eyes are open, their ears should be on. Why does this make a difference? Increased wear time for hearing aids and hearing devices helps stimulate auditory pathways. In other words, it prepares their brain for the actual signal that they'll be receiving with a cochlear implant. And what we know is that children who have worn their hearing aids before they received their cochlear implants are set up for success in developing age-appropriate listening and spoken language skills.  

2. Use the LSL strategy serve and return.

When your child is wearing their devices, be sure to talk, read, and sing to them. When you serve up words, they’ll return a response, maybe a smile or a kick of their feet. Even if your baby has been diagnosed as severely to profoundly deaf or profoundly deaf, there is most likely residual hearing and those neural pathways in their brain can be stimulated. And that's important because it's priming that brain to best prepare for that auditory signal of the new cochlear implant.  

3. Write your questions down. 

Think about what you need to know more about and talk to your cochlear implant team about that.  There is no such thing as a stupid question! You need to feel empowered and comfortable as you move into the surgery day with your child. If you have questions about which cochlear implant brand is right for your child, this article can help you think it through. You also might find it very helpful to connect with other families who've already gone through implantation or who are currently going through the same journey. 

4. Keep up early intervention. 

In the days or weeks leading up to cochlear implantation, make sure that you keep your early intervention appointments. Your early interventionists can equip you with strategies and techniques that are going to be critical to use after your child receives their implant. It’s important to start building those skills now! Learning those strategies and techniques and establishing them in your everyday routines will pay off great dividends. You'll be lightyears ahead for that day when your child is activated. 

To learn more about getting ready for a cochlear implant watch the video below!

Preparing Your Child for Cochlear Implants