Abstract
Children with severe to profound hearing loss who receive cochlear implants have an opportunity to develop the auditory skills that will assist them in lifelong learning. Although the auditory access provided by a cochlear implant can make this process easier, there remain a number of challenges that face a child with an implant, especially in the educational setting. Children with implants will still encounter acoustic challenges, academic challenges, attention challenges, associative challenges, and adjustment challenges. The knowledgeable speech and hearing professional who is aware of the potential of the implant while at the same time is cognizant of possible barriers to a child's success in school, will assist the child is using the device to receive maximal benefit.
THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS of children who use cochlear implants suggest that they require a unique approach to teaching and training that is unlike other children in special education classrooms. School environments for children with learning challenges presuppose normal sensory abilities with defi cits in processing or learning. Traditionally, deaf and hard of hearing children have begun the process of learning through a compromised auditory system that may impinge on their overall ability to learn. The cochlear implant has mitigated the effects of the sensory defi cit to the extent that auditory access is now possible; however, the residuals of hearing loss may still infl uence learning potential. Despite the fact that cochlear implants provide adequate acoustical signals, they do not provide normal hearing. Furthermore, children with identifi ed sensory deficits may also present with significant learning issues in the same manner as hearing children in special education classrooms.
The percentage of severe to profoundly deaf children receiving cochlear implants today is increasing rapidly. A key contributor to this phenomenon is the growing movement toward early identifi cation of hearing loss in the majority of states. Once identifi ed, it is possible for children as young as 12 months of age to receive an implant. Early identifi cation coupled with implant technology results in more auditory information to assist in language learning. Achievement in language acquisition sets the stage for children with implants to enter mainstream placements very early in their educational careers. Despite good auditory skills and placement in the mainstream, these children will still require accommodations to maintain or maximize their educational experiences.
It might be suggested, then, that there are five challenges in the educational setting that confront children with cochlear implants. These may be categorized as acoustic challenges, academic challenges, attention challenges, associative challenges, and adjustment challenges. Each of these areas has a unique impact on the way a child develops a healthy self-image, takes responsibility for self-learning, is responsive to self-motivation, and maintains a feeling of selfworth. It is important, therefore, for all speech and hearing professionals, in private practice, in hospital settings, or in the public schools, to be knowledgeable about the needs of children using cochlear implants so that modifications in intervention, environment, and interaction can be implemented.