Outgrowing a CI?
A security guard at national historic site commented to a family that he "had one of those" (meaning an implant) when he was a kid. He appeared to speak very clearly, did not have hearing aids, and did not appear to rely on speech reading at all. The parent wondered how that could have been possible. Another reader said the security guard may have thought the child's CI was an auditory feedback device to used for helping children with stuttering.
Keeping the CI on
A parent whose child resists wearing hearing aids asked if children with CIs also resisted. Several parents commented that their children took their hearing aids out all the time but were happy to keep their CIs on from the get-go. They speculated it was because the CIs gave them more benefit and better sound.
Sturbridge
Strategies for getting together/meeting other group members at the Sturbridge CI convention in Massachusetts were discussed. (Pool at Sturbridge Host Hotel in photo at right.)
New York, New York!
The group was asked to compare and contrast the NYU and NYEE cochlear implant centers. Both got positive reviews.
Arrggh -- Insurance!
The problem of CI manufacturers being "out-of-network" and thus causing people to pay high deductibles for parts and batteries was discussed. Ways to reclassify as "in-network" were suggested.
What is AVT?
Auditory-Verbal Therapy was defined. Though not AVT per se, a member posted some useful language development tips for parents working with young children.
Music Program
A parent asked if other children used the Music program in Cochlear's SmartSound 2 suite. Another responded that her children like the Whisper/ADRO variant for music. The discussion morphed to guitar tuning by teens with cochlear implants.
Mapping bilateral implants
A parent asked how frequently other people's children have had their sequential bilateral implant mapped.
New Cochlear brand device
Parents eagerly awaited word from the CI2009 conference in Seattle going on right now about Cochlear's new sound processor and internal device, but there was not much new information that trickled out.
Dizziness after surgery?
A parent asked if this was common and several people responded it happened to their children but went away within a week.
Other topics
Brand choice, Montessori schools, and smoke detectors were also discussed.
Do you like to read blogs about children with cochlear implants? Visit the Parent Blogs section at cicircle.org.
