3 year old with cochears

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betht

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I have a profoundly deaf 3 year old son with cochlear implants. He was activiated about 4 months ago. Getting him to wear his cochlears has always been a challenge, but, once they are on, he seldom takes them off. The last 2 weeks have been beyond challenging. We can't get him to wear them at all. All of our old positive, and negative, rewards have stopped working. It is as if he is trying to tell us that we can't make him do it. I am at my wit's end. Does anyone have any suggestions? The odd thing is that he has really amped up the babbling! I wish he could hear all of the new sounds he is making. He even said mom, repeatedly, as was babbling himself to sleep the other night.
 
I have a profoundly deaf 3 year old son with cochlear implants. He was activiated about 4 months ago. Getting him to wear his cochlears has always been a challenge, but, once they are on, he seldom takes them off. The last 2 weeks have been beyond challenging. We can't get him to wear them at all. All of our old positive, and negative, rewards have stopped working. It is as if he is trying to tell us that we can't make him do it. I am at my wit's end. Does anyone have any suggestions? The odd thing is that he has really amped up the babbling! I wish he could hear all of the new sounds he is making. He even said mom, repeatedly, as was babbling himself to sleep the other night.

I would recommend joining cicircle : Pediatric Cochlear Implant Circle It is a group for parents of kids with implants. You will be able to get great advice there!
 
*whistles* im not gonna touch this one....

Not with a 10 foot pole! And I could offer some sound reasoning and ways to address the behavior. But I'm getting a bit gun shy with hearing parents with implanted kids. They can get rabid.:lol: Which really is a shame, because I am damn good at what I do.
 
I have a profoundly deaf 3 year old son with cochlear implants. He was activiated about 4 months ago. Getting him to wear his cochlears has always been a challenge, but, once they are on, he seldom takes them off. The last 2 weeks have been beyond challenging. We can't get him to wear them at all. All of our old positive, and negative, rewards have stopped working. It is as if he is trying to tell us that we can't make him do it. I am at my wit's end. Does anyone have any suggestions? The odd thing is that he has really amped up the babbling! I wish he could hear all of the new sounds he is making. He even said mom, repeatedly, as was babbling himself to sleep the other night.

ARe you willing to take suggestions you don't want to hear? If no, CICircle is a good place.
 
I have a profoundly deaf 3 year old son with cochlear implants. He was activiated about 4 months ago. Getting him to wear his cochlears has always been a challenge, but, once they are on, he seldom takes them off. The last 2 weeks have been beyond challenging. We can't get him to wear them at all. All of our old positive, and negative, rewards have stopped working. It is as if he is trying to tell us that we can't make him do it. I am at my wit's end. Does anyone have any suggestions? The odd thing is that he has really amped up the babbling! I wish he could hear all of the new sounds he is making. He even said mom, repeatedly, as was babbling himself to sleep the other night.

Hi Beth, as you might be able to see, this may not be the most welcoming or knowledgable place to discuss CIs or issues with them, some without any experience with CIs will take any opportunity to bite you for implanting your child. CICircle folks will provide you with a great deal of experience. I can't say what's wrong, but off the cuff, I'd suggest talking to your audi and adjusting his mapping asap. If he doesn't want to wear them, they aren't providing sounds that benefit him, they may be providing noise he can't deal with, or his brain may have adjusted to them and they provide no or little input. The early maps are usually a series of raising the volume steps while the brain becomes accustomed to the sound.

My nearly 5YO daughter frequently tossed her HAs, because they just blasted useless sound into her ears that she wasn't receiving. Once she had her CI, she was happy to wear it, without a fuss, but took it off in the late afternoon each day - done with it. We had one bad map where she wanted it off more than on, but after a reprogramming, all was well. When she received her second last year -- that was it -- she puts them on herself every morning and argues to keep them on in the bath or in bed, barely allowing them off for the hair-washing, often relinquishing just one after some negotiation. The other we slip off after she's asleep. There could be other issues, observe and listen to him closely, but try to adjust the map, there's no need for him to be uncomfortable.
 
Hi Beth, as you might be able to see, this may not be the most welcoming or knowledgable place to discuss CIs or issues with them, some without any experience with CIs will take any opportunity to bite you for implanting your child. CICircle folks will provide you with a great deal of experience. I can't say what's wrong, but off the cuff, I'd suggest talking to your audi and adjusting his mapping asap. If he doesn't want to wear them, they aren't providing sounds that benefit him, they may be providing noise he can't deal with, or his brain may have adjusted to them and they provide no or little input. The early maps are usually a series of raising the volume steps while the brain becomes accustomed to the sound.

My nearly 5YO daughter frequently tossed her HAs, because they just blasted useless sound into her ears that she wasn't receiving. Once she had her CI, she was happy to wear it, without a fuss, but took it off in the late afternoon each day - done with it. We had one bad map where she wanted it off more than on, but after a reprogramming, all was well. When she received her second last year -- that was it -- she puts them on herself every morning and argues to keep them on in the bath or in bed, barely allowing them off for the hair-washing, often relinquishing just one after some negotiation. The other we slip off after she's asleep. There could be other issues, observe and listen to him closely, but try to adjust the map, there's no need for him to be uncomfortable.
Yes, I was also wondering if the mapping was an issue. Cause when I first had the implant I used to think that certain sounds were a little too loud such as the rustling of the papers. However, some of those sounds were corrected or improved after I had some of the mappings.
 
Not with a 10 foot pole! And I could offer some sound reasoning and ways to address the behavior. But I'm getting a bit gun shy with hearing parents with implanted kids. They can get rabid. Which really is a shame, because I am damn good at what I do.
While I think this place has improved a lot, we do have some posters who may say controversial things.....and WOW, never thought I'd see the day! I do think the OP hasn't given us enough background info, so we can give good info. Like do you guys sign, is he progressively deaf, and so on and so on?
It could be a "overload overload cannot compute" sort of thing.
Even those of us who LOVE to hear may find ourselves succumbing to auditory fatige, or we may want to have a sound off day. Listening and hearing is hard work. We can do it....but it can be very hard work. Exactly how you might be able to speak a forgien language somewhat fluently, but it is very hard. I remember for example, a quebecosis (French Candien) friend of mine beign able to speak English fluently..but at the end of the day she'd be all " I wanna speak French"
Heck, many of us here who are "just hoh" find hearing and talking to be tiring.
Check with the audi. It may be due to a bad map.
Here are some Georgia Deaf resources for you if you're interested in pursuing them. Many Deaf Schools and programs have become more hoh/CI friendly.
Georgia School for the Deaf - Index
Atlanta Area School for the Deaf
 
run the deafies are coming, the deafies are coming !!

all kidding aside. i actually support kids getting a CI . would be a loss if a kid has a chance to hear something at some point in his life instead of losing that chance. i lost my hearing at 11 and realize what i gained from that period of being able to hear. you can add signing to his language development. but even with that i feel it depends on the kid himself. what does he react to most favorably? not everyone will fit in a square hole of life. giving your kid as many options as possible is the most sensible.
when the kid tosses off the CI i can understand. having once worn HA's that vibrated thru my noggin i was relieved when i could take them off. silence is a blessing, but life works better with sound.
 
Wirelessly posted

Btw, if it is AB brand, check and see if it is a recall. I can't see why a child refusing it more everyday. Especially when he is refusing the last two week. The audiologist must set his mapping where it is very discomforting to him. I wouldn't force him to wear it until I get it check out.
 
Thank you for all of the advice. I will talk to his audiologist. But, I am not sure if that is it. It seems to be more of a control thing... I will keep plugging away! In the mean time we will continue to learn sign language. He is SO cute when he signs!
 
While I think this place has improved a lot, we do have some posters who may say controversial things.....and WOW, never thought I'd see the day! I do think the OP hasn't given us enough background info, so we can give good info. Like do you guys sign, is he progressively deaf, and so on and so on?
It could be a "overload overload cannot compute" sort of thing.
Even those of us who LOVE to hear may find ourselves succumbing to auditory fatige, or we may want to have a sound off day. Listening and hearing is hard work. We can do it....but it can be very hard work. Exactly how you might be able to speak a forgien language somewhat fluently, but it is very hard. I remember for example, a quebecosis (French Candien) friend of mine beign able to speak English fluently..but at the end of the day she'd be all " I wanna speak French"
Heck, many of us here who are "just hoh" find hearing and talking to be tiring.
Check with the audi. It may be due to a bad map.
Here are some Georgia Deaf resources for you if you're interested in pursuing them. Many Deaf Schools and programs have become more hoh/CI friendly.
Georgia School for the Deaf - Index
Atlanta Area School for the Deaf

The kids behavior issues are offering a clue. An auditory / oral environment is not something that addresses his needs at this point in time.
 
The kids behavior issues are offering a clue. An auditory / oral environment is not something that addresses his needs at this point in time.

Who said he is in an auditory oral enviroment?
 
Not going to touch this one. It sounds fake with the sole purpose of stirring up the pot in here.
 
He may only be 3, but I think it should still be his choice. Leave it as an option for him, my daughter proudly proclaimed she was Deaf at age 3 and didn't wear her aid for almost two years now she grabs it when she feels like it. But in the beginning she kept braking them, on purpose she didn't want to wear them! When I explained it was her choice she quit destroying them and they hung in a place where if she wanted them she could have them.
 
He may only be 3, but I think it should still be his choice. Leave it as an option for him, my daughter proudly proclaimed she was Deaf at age 3 and didn't wear her aid for almost two years now she grabs it when she feels like it. But in the beginning she kept braking them, on purpose she didn't want to wear them! When I explained it was her choice she quit destroying them and they hung in a place where if she wanted them she could have them.

My son used to take the batteries out of the FM system at school and tell the teacher it was broken.:giggle: And he would hide one of his HAs because it actually interfered with discrimination and tell me it was lost. That is when I stopped insisting that he do what the hearing experts said he needed to do and started paying attention to what he was indicating worked and didn't work for him. And asking deaf adults their opinions.
 
My son used to take the batteries out of the FM system at school and tell the teacher it was broken.:giggle: And he would hide one of his HAs because it actually interfered with discrimination and tell me it was lost. That is when I stopped insisting that he do what the hearing experts said he needed to do and started paying attention to what he was indicating worked and didn't work for him. And asking deaf adults their opinions.

I took the FM frequency thingy and broke the pins off and put it back. No sound and it looked just fine.

Nobody knew for months.
 
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