My 6 month old son~ HA's or CI ?

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suzanne

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I have 2 kids that are deaf both since birth due to a genetic gene that we as parents did not know we carried.

Anyway when we had our first child almost 7 years ago we were told HA's would benefit her.....she has a moderate-severe loss Right ear and left ear is severe to profound. She is doing amazing.

our son who is 6 months old is severe to profound in both ears. actually his right ear is at 90db so it is pretty much profound. HIs left is 80db so it is not certain if HA's will help him reach speech. CI's we talked about but our audiologist said HA's first of course and worry about that decision later. He has to be at least 1 year old to implant that is if you want to go that route anyway.

I cant get it out of my mind which route to take im scared to death of a CI....it is mainly fear of the unknown. Alot of "What if it doesnt....." questions and concerns. Almost all parents stories I have read and parents that I have been connected with go the CI route eventually. But I have heard it is easier on them when they are small to do it rather than when they are grown.

I guess I am a mother searching endlessly for advice from someone who knows what i am going through. Someone who knows by experience. I know it is all opinion but I want someone who knows by experience or knows someone in this situtaion and what they did about it.

ASL is used in our home aswell.........I f anyone can tell me their story similar to mine please respond .
 
Stay with the HA route until you know they are of no benefit. You said your 7-year old is doing amazing with her HAs. If that's the case, I would say "leave it be" for her, for now.

Sounds like you are taking the right track by having ASL in your home! Yay !!

Regarding your 6-month old, the same advice applies about trying HAs until you know they're of no benefit. An audiologist can help you with that.

I have a profound loss myself (115 db) and STILL wear HAs to this day (I'm in my 40's now.) I get a lot of residual use out of them, and speak very well. Your children will be just fine! :)
 
The drawback of CI is that you can't reverse it. What if by the time your kids are 7 years old some miracle technology has been discovered that will cure deafness? If you do a CI they'll miss out on that.

And like AlleyCat said if they're doing fine with Hearing Aids, just leave it alone.
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Another vote for starting with HAs and ASL, then if the HAs cease being of any benefit considering CI at that time.

Technologies are changing so quickly, if HAs will work even for a few years that's a long time in terms of what new technologies may be available that will be better than what is currently available.
 
Thank you guys so much! I know this sounds typical of a hearing parent to say about their Hoh or deaf child but I just want them to speak and hear my voice. My daughter gets great benefit from her aids and she tells me thank you for her hearing aids a lot. her favorite thing to do is sing and have me read her a story.

I just want that same thing for my son. I wont ever forget the day he got his aids just 6 weeks old and his face just lit up when he heard my voice. I know he is getting something from them I just dont know how much. We have our first booth test at the audiologist and I pray its goes well.

Thanks again sometimes I just need reassurence from people who actually know what Im talking about. Im thankful for finding alldeaf ......just randomly surfing the net about deafness and stumbled on this wonderful site!
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Suzanne - for what it's worth ...

While my hearing my parents voice was really important to my parents - the most touching, important moment in MY life was when (after years of me working at speech & listening) my parents decided to enter my world as learn some ASL.
 
The most important moment in my life was when my dad played catch or basketball, or did calligraphy with me.

If things go right with your kid, they will remember the special things you did together, and not get totally hung up on the deafness aspect of their lives.
 
Suzanne, I agree with everyone. CIs should be only used when HAs have been maxed out. If he is not a right off the bat canidate, (ie very little or no response with HAs) you still have a window to decide on things. Heck, lots o us weren't even identifed until we were toddlers, and we still developed speech and hearing skills.
 
Just listen to your son when it come with communication. I am very happy that your son is able to sign with you and your family members. I agreed that hearing aid(s) is the way to go. Don't try to make him be a part of the hearing world otherwise he will struggle trying to make out what everyone is saying. Keep up with ASL. I am glad that your daughter is happy with her hearing aids. If your son want to have CI in the future, then make sure he will still have ASL (don't let the audiologist or the doctor tell you not to use ASL, ignore them). Just enjoy being with him and your daughter signing away with happy hours. I like what you are doing. :D :thumb:
 
suzanne said:
I have 2 kids that are deaf both since birth due to a genetic gene that we as parents did not know we carried.

Anyway when we had our first child almost 7 years ago we were told HA's would benefit her.....she has a moderate-severe loss Right ear and left ear is severe to profound. She is doing amazing.

our son who is 6 months old is severe to profound in both ears. actually his right ear is at 90db so it is pretty much profound. HIs left is 80db so it is not certain if HA's will help him reach speech. CI's we talked about but our audiologist said HA's first of course and worry about that decision later. He has to be at least 1 year old to implant that is if you want to go that route anyway.

I cant get it out of my mind which route to take im scared to death of a CI....it is mainly fear of the unknown. Alot of "What if it doesnt....." questions and concerns. Almost all parents stories I have read and parents that I have been connected with go the CI route eventually. But I have heard it is easier on them when they are small to do it rather than when they are grown.

I guess I am a mother searching endlessly for advice from someone who knows what i am going through. Someone who knows by experience. I know it is all opinion but I want someone who knows by experience or knows someone in this situtaion and what they did about it.

ASL is used in our home aswell.........I f anyone can tell me their story similar to mine please respond .
Click to expand...

Suzanne,

As the parent of a child (n0w an adult) with a ci I can tell you without any hesitation that it was the best decision we ever made. Do yourself, and more importantly, your children a huge favor and get yourself over to the cicirle and talk to other parents like yourself who are either thinking about, or who have chosen to give their children the benefits of a ci.
Good luck,
rick
 
I'm hearing, but I know a lot of deaf people with CI and almost all of them HATE it. I know it's a personal preference, but it should be the childs choice. I know the ones implanted before they could understand, or consent, resent their parents because they didn't have a choice. My friends that chose to get the implant, on the other hand, still don't like it. It's not the hearing they were promised, or it's not the hearing they were expecting, or even the fact that it may not work at all... My friend that does like it, she went deaf later in life and had no relation to the Deaf World at all. She did her best to go back to what she knew before. Let your child be Deaf. If he chooses it later? Sure. But I think it should be his choice.
 
cellogurly said:
I'm hearing, but I know a lot of deaf people with CI and almost all of them HATE it. I know it's a personal preference, but it should be the childs choice. I know the ones implanted before they could understand, or consent, resent their parents because they didn't have a choice. My friends that chose to get the implant, on the other hand, still don't like it. It's not the hearing they were promised, or it's not the hearing they were expecting, or even the fact that it may not work at all... My friend that does like it, she went deaf later in life and had no relation to the Deaf World at all. She did her best to go back to what she knew before. Let your child be Deaf. If he chooses it later? Sure. But I think it should be his choice.
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y


Your "experiences" are completely opposite to those I, as a parent of an adult with w ci and actively involved in the ci community for almost 25 years, knowing hundreds of ci users have experienced.

As the research and studies as well as the actual experiences have proven, the most beneficial use of the implant comes to those implanted as soon as possible after the onset of deafness. If one abdicates their parental obligations and just "let's the child decide" they should at least be honest with thier child and acknowledge that by waiting it is less likely their child will receive the same benefits had they received the implant as a child.

BTW you just insulted many Deaf individuals who have cis and still view themselves as Deaf. Having a ci and being Deaf are not mutually exclusive.
 
rick48 said:
Suzanne,

As the parent of a child (n0w an adult) with a ci I can tell you without any hesitation that it was the best decision we ever made. Do yourself, and more importantly, your children a huge favor and get yourself over to the cicirle and talk to other parents like yourself who are either thinking about, or who have chosen to give their children the benefits of a ci.
Good luck,
rick
Click to expand...

As noted above, the first option should be the less invasive HA. If that does not work, then the other option becomes, perhaps, a CI. I fail to see why the parent should jump right to a CI, or why you feel that is the best decision for this adult to make for her infant child. Your role as a "CI shill" has not escaped my observation. Would you have done this for your child, over the recommendations of a doctor; to implant first?

How is the CI stock portfolio looking?

Keep the trolls in Banned Limbo.
 
As a parent, you make the decision as to what you feel is right for your child.

As for my opinion: I am a bilateral CI user, had hearing aids for many years before the CI and agree with the others, if the HA works well, stick with them. They can develop sound mapping with the hearing aid first, and move up to the CI after the HA's become useless.

CI's are a wonderful thing, but not everyone benefits from them. The medical community tends to rush into CI's, and gets everyone's hopes up too high. I have some friends that are happy with their CI's, and others that have had poor results.
 
green427 said:
CI's are a wonderful thing, but not everyone benefits from them. The medical community tends to rush into CI's, and gets everyone's hopes up too high. I have some friends that are happy with their CI's, and others that have had poor results.
Click to expand...

This is why I wonder about the enthusiasm some members have for early implantation. Once they dig around in there, no HA will work. Nada. And there could be other health issues created by this surgery if it fails. Of course, medical efforts to push these devices are often driven by profits. Propaganda and scare tactics can be effective tools to manipulate terrified parents of children with hearing loss issues.
 
Bottesini said:
The most important moment in my life was when my dad played catch or basketball, or did calligraphy with me.

If things go right with your kid, they will remember the special things you did together, and not get totally hung up on the deafness aspect of their lives.
Click to expand...

:gpost: Those are wonderful memories. You are spot on.
 
suzanne said:
I have 2 kids that are deaf both since birth due to a genetic gene that we as parents did not know we carried.

Anyway when we had our first child almost 7 years ago we were told HA's would benefit her.....she has a moderate-severe loss Right ear and left ear is severe to profound. She is doing amazing.
Click to expand...

I still love this phrase. Doing amazing. Great job!
 
to cellogurly~
I am curious as to why a person would resent their parents for getting them implanted if HA's dont benefit them at all ? In the end they can choose not to wear the implant. late implantation doesnt benefit them aswell as early so far I have learned that. unless you were hearing and then went deaf later in life. Did it have a horrible affect on them health wise? Or life long side effects? Im just trying to gather any information I can on this subject.

On the other hand I can see them being upset that their parents DIDN"T give them ASL. That I get. HOH or CI you need ASL. That is very important. At least it is to me.
 
To Alleycat-

She is doing amazing 100% on her spelling tests .....her reading level is very high. She loves music class and art she just all around loves school. So far so good !
 
green427 said:
As a parent, you make the decision as to what you feel is right for your child.

As for my opinion: I am a bilateral CI user, had hearing aids for many years before the CI and agree with the others, if the HA works well, stick with them. They can develop sound mapping with the hearing aid first, and move up to the CI after the HA's become useless.

CI's are a wonderful thing, but not everyone benefits from them. The medical community tends to rush into CI's, and gets everyone's hopes up too high. I have some friends that are happy with their CI's, and others that have had poor results.
Click to expand...

PERFECT post!
 
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