What is the Success Rate Of Cochlear Implants In Elementary School Children in New York?

What is the Success Rate Of Cochlear Implants In Elementary School Children in New York?

Introduction

A considerable body of evidence obtained from studies of children who are deaf and who use cochlear implants has been useful in guiding practices that lead to higher levels of English language proficiency and age-appropriate literacy. Both (a) research conducted at implant centres and (b) educational programs with significant numbers of children who use cochlear implants have provided evidence that is useful when making decisions regarding best practices. For the most part, practices that emphasize auditory-based spoken language development have been shown to be highly effective in changing outcomes according to published data for children whose lives are affected by childhood deafness.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that all schools, whenever possible, employ scientifically based practices that have been proven to be effective through randomized, controlled group research designs. This requirement applies to elementary school children with special needs as well, and studies of this nature are considered the "gold standard." Little research based on this gold standard can be found in journals for practitioners in the field of deafness because random assignment of children to groups based on key educational variables such as mode of communication, age of diagnosis, parental involvement, or use of assistive devices is highly problematic. In addition, the heterogeneous nature of the population consisting of children who are deaf or hard of hearing makes it difficult to establish designs that can be easily replicated. On the other hand, extensive and consistent evidence-based research on outcomes for students who are profoundly deaf and wear cochlear implants is now available and should be considered when teachers and therapists are investigating best practices to use with the children whom they serve.

Literature Review

Over the past 15 years, measurable shifts have occurred in programs, policies, practices, and strategies designed to assist children who were born with significant hearing loss (Blanchfield, Feldman, Dunbar, & Gardner, 2001; Downs, 1995; Gallaudet Research Institute, 2001, 2003, 2005; Karchmer & Mitchell, 2003). Among these shifts are the following:

increasing numbers of children who are deaf and hard of hearing in general education settings

more participation in speech-only special day classrooms

more participation in American Sign Language (ASL)--first programs

decreasing participation in combination speech & sign programs

increasing numbers of children using auditory--verbal therapy

higher numbers of children whose ethnicity is Hispanic/Latino

These shifts occurred in part as a reaction to events outside of deaf education, such as earlier diagnosis of deafness via universal newborn hearing screenings, improvements in hearing aids, and the increasing use of cochlear implants by children born without the ability to perceive speech sounds. According to the Hearing Loss Association, data have indicated that 25, 00 people in the New York have cochlear implants and half of these individuals are children. There are 250 hospitals in the United States that perform cochlear implants, and the demand for these implants in ...