Since this article has been mentioned as being the authority on CI's, and since this article is so hypocritical and bogus, I wanted to explain why I don't believe this article at all.
Interesting bit of info from WRAD NEWS . . .
MYTHS AND LIES ABOUT COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
WRAD is SHOCKED that there are lies and myths and a lot of wrong
information being spread about cochlear implants and people who choose
to receive cochlear implants to improve their independence, their lives
and their careers.
:roll:
Even much worse, a lot of these LIES are being spread by ASL
Interpreters, apparently for two reasons: (1) They are so fascinated
with "sign language" that they do not want any prelingually deaf person
(born deaf or early deafened) to have the ability to hear or to speak;
and (2) they want the MONEY that comes to them from keeping deaf people
dependent... ON THEM!
This is just paranoia. Interpreters have better things to do than spread lies about cochlear implants.
OK, it is time to STOP these rumors and lies and myths! It is time to
focus on the REAL NEEDS of deaf people, for more independence and more
access to the whole world. Here are the LIES we have been hearing about,
and here is the TRUTH!
Whatever...
LIE #1: THERE IS A "HOLE" IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD OF A COCHLEAR IMPLANT
RECIPIENT
This is absolute NONSENSE! THERE IS NO "HOLE"! The headpiece attaches
magnetically. There is a small metallic section of the implant under the
scalp skin. There is a magnet in the headpiece. Ask ANYONE you know who
has a cochlear implant to temporarily remove their headpiece and see for
yourself!
This one is basically referring to the hole needed for the surgery.
LIE #2: SOME HEARING PEOPLE "FORCE" DEAF PEOPLE TO GET COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
This is a LIE. No one can "force" anyone to get a cochlear implant (ci).
When a deaf individual wishes to receive INFORMATION about the ci
technology, they must go through a full ci EVALUATION to get INFORMATION
ONLY. These evaluations are done through a certified ci center, and
simply involve a more thorough audiological test; a test of the hearing
nerves (most deaf people have fully functional hearing nerves --
"deafness" is caused by damage to the cells in the cochlea); a CT scan
of the cochlea bones (about 5 minutes for each ear); a discussion and
education session with a ci audiologist; and a full medical evaluation
by an ci-trained ENT physician. These evaluations are for INFORMATION
ONLY, and do not involve "surgery" or any "pressure" by anyone.
[NOTE: If you wish to have a ci evaluation, go to
http://www.bionicear.com/clinics/clinics.html , contact the location
near where you live and ask for a ci evaluation. If you are under an HMO
medical insurance plan, tell your Primary Care Physician (PPO) to refer
you to an ENT specialist within your HMO network for a ci evaluation]
The implantee has NO choice in receiving an implant if the implantee is a baby. Parents can force the surgery on the children (and don't give me any of that "they can remove it" because as this is written it is about the SURGERY ITSELF, not the choice to remove it).
LIE #3: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ARE "DANGEROUS"
Absolutely WRONG! No one has ever died from ci surgery. In fact, ci
surgery is MICROSURGERY, so small that the surgeon needs to use
magnifying glasses. The entire "surgery" through the skull bone is no
bigger than this typed "O". There are very few side effects after
surgery and all of them are TEMPORARY. Proper care of the stitches after
surgery prevents skin infections. The "meningitis risk" you have been
hearing about is primarily in young children between birth to 6 years
old, and is preventable by a simple immunization (everyone should be
immunized against meningitis anyway).
True.
LIE #4: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS MAKE PEOPLE INTO "ROBOTS" OR "ALIENS"
Absolutely, definitely NOT TRUE! The cochlear implant is simply an inner
ear radio transmitter. It just sits on top of the damaged cells on the
surface of the cochlea bone and sends radio signals of ALL sounds to the
hearing nerves. There is NOTHING "connected to" any nerves of the body
or to the brain.
A CI is not a radio transmitter. It electrically stimulates the nerves.
LIE #5: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS "DESTROY DEAF CULTURE"
No they DON'T! "Deaf Culture" is primarily about the gestural languages
(such as ASL in the USA and Canada), unrelated to spoken phonetic
languages, that are used by BOTH deaf AND hearing people all over the
world. These gestural languages can be learned AT ANY TIME in any
person's life. In fact, many late-deafened people and many ASL
interpreters have proved that gestural languages can be learned at any
age. If an ASL interpreter can have the best of BOTH worlds (gestural
and phonetic), then why can't a deaf person have the same benefits? WE
CAN!
Talking only about the devices this is true. However, it is the
attitudes of the implantees that destroy Deaf culture.
LIE #6: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS COST "A LOT OF MONEY"
Not true! All major health insurance plans pay IN FULL for the ci
surgery and TWO sound processors (body-worn and BTE) and all
attachments, and most of them also cover, or reimburse for, all of the
replacement batteries, cords, etc.
Then why are there so many people who can't pay for one? Not all insurance companies do cover this.
LIE #7: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS "DON'T WORK" FOR PRELINGUALLY DEAF ADULTS
WRONG AGAIN! We all have TWO different "auditory systems" in our brains!
The BASIC level of the human auditory system is for identification of
ENVIRONMENTAL sounds. This is called the "WHERE" auditory system, and
this part of the auditory system has ALWAYS BEEN activated and fully
functional, for ALL sounds, for prelingually deaf adults, from the time
the ci is first activated.
The other part of the human auditory system is at a higher level for
understanding of other people when they are speaking. This is called the
"WHAT" (speech identification) part of the auditory system. IN THE PAST,
this benefit was not available to prelingually deaf people because of
limitations of technology. BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE ANYMORE! The most recent
advances in ci technology, in just the past few years, NOW permit
prelingually deaf people to be able to learn listening skills for
understanding human speech.
[...]
Well, well, well, I see some hypocrites around here. I've been seeing some of you claiming that the only possible way to get full benefit of the CI is to implant early, and you also claim this article is 100% true. However, this part contradicts what you keep saying about implanting early!
LIE #8: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ARE THE SAME AS "HEARING AIDS"
Absolutely WRONG! A hearing aid blasts sound into the outer, middle and
inner ears. For a deaf person, the cells in the inner ear that transmit
sounds are DEAD. If doesn't matter how much sound you blast into the ear
since those sounds won't ever be heard by the auditory nerves. All a
deaf person gets from a hearing aid is VIBRATIONS, not actual sounds,
and a lot of headaches.
A cochlear implant provides direct transmissions to the auditory nerves.
There are NO vibrations at all, and the sounds are very clear and
distinct, ALL SOUNDS, much more than anyone can hear with a hearing aid.
A person with a cochlear implant hears sounds the same way as a hearing
person. Ask ANY hearing person how they "hear sounds" -- they don't feel
ANYTHING AT ALL when they hear! In fact, hearing people don't even know
their ears are there -- they hear in their brain, NOT "in their ear"! So
do ci users, and there are no "earmolds" to bother them either
Hey, I know my ears are there!
LIE #9: COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS "DISAPPEAR" FROM THEIR OWN DEAF COMMUNITY
No they don't! Most ci users, especially prelingually deaf adults, were
implanted too late in life for their "WHAT" auditory system to be fully
functional, even though their "WHERE" auditory system IS fully
functional, which greatly improves and assists lipreading ability. MOST
ci users DO want to participate in the deaf community, but they are
BEING INSULTED, DEFAMED, EXCLUDED, ISOLATED AND ATTACKED by stupid
people who do not understand the truth about cochlear implants. THIS IS
WRONG! It is WRONG to attack and hurt innocent people in the deaf
community who want to be more independent!
Well, some bring it on themselves with their big "I can hear!" egos.
ASL interpreters, who regularly participate within Deaf Culture and the
deaf community have FULL hearing and speech ability, PLUS the FULL
ability to communicate in gestural language, too. WHAT IS SO "WRONG" IF
DEAF PEOPLE WANT TO DO THE SAME?
If HEARING or even hard of hearing people within the deaf community are
"threatened" by this, then they should NOT BE IN the deaf community or
in OUR Deaf Culture organizations and groups! We who are PHYSICALLY DEAF
have the same rights as everyone else to have as much access as possible
to BOTH the world of sound AND the world of silence!
Then why do so many implantees hate those who DARE speak against cochlear implants? There are two sides to every debate. Besides, I'm not threatened by implantees in the community. I am more offended by those who disrespect the Deaf community and then accuse the Deaf community of being rude to
them.
LIE #10: PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL "VOLUNTARILY DEAF" HAVE THE "RIGHT" TO
TALK ABOUT COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
Very, Very, VERY WRONG! NO prelingually deaf person (born deaf or early
deafened) who still chooses to remain deaf has NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to
talk about cochlear implants! They have NO experience at all in hearing
the FULL RANGE of sounds!
Would you ask a born BLIND individual to choose colors for decorating
your house? No you wouldn't! That person has NO ACTUAL EXPERIENCE with
the full range of colors. And a prelingually deaf person has NO ACTUAL
EXPERIENCE hearing the full range of ALL sounds, either!
It is NOT POSSIBLE for a BORN BLIND OR EARLY BLINDED person to
understand colors, even if you try to explain colors to that person --
colors are OUTSIDE of that person's life experience.
It is also NOT POSSIBLE for a BORN SOUND-BLIND OR EARLY SOUND-BLINDED
person (a born deaf or early deafened prelingually deaf person) to
understand what it is like to hear ALL sounds -- having full auditory
function is OUTSIDE of that person's life experience.
DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT!
If you want to know THE TRUTH, ask someone who DOES know what they are
talking about, from actual professional training (which is NOT given in
"ASL Interpreter Training Programs"), and/or from ACTUAL LIFE
EXPERIENCE!
This one made me laugh the hardest:
1. Not all voluntarily deaf people were born deaf. Many late-deafened people don't want cochlear implants for various reasons, and I can DEFINITELY respect that.
2. Hearing parents have not experienced cochlear implants. By this logic, they shouldn't be allowed to talk about them either.
3. One point keeps being brought up here, even by the cochlear implant users themselves: CI's are NOT perfect. Since they aren't perfect, why is perfect hearing even being brought up here as a reason for "expertise" anyway?
4. If a deaf person decides not to get a cochlear implant, they aren't stupid. It means they're comfortable being deaf, which is OK. They have their own opinions. It looks to me like this one is out there to only allow people to say good things about the CI.
Well, that's my opinion on this article. Not all of it is bogus, but it seems very suspicious and contradictory to me.
