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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rick48" data-source="post: 1935944" data-attributes="member: 12682">I think this blog is both informative and interesting and goes a long way to confirm what many of us have already stated about cochlear implants and ASL not being mutually exclusive. I guess what I take issue is with is this insistence that doctors should be presenting ASL as an option to parents when their child is first diagnosed as deaf. I want my doctor, especially a cochlear implant surgeon, to present me with medical options as that is his/her area of expertise. I would not and did not consider a doctor's opinion on language choices to be of much value as that is not his/her area of expertise. I also do not get hung up on what a product is named as I am more concerned with what it does than what it is called.  As for marketing and advertising, well that's what it is, I know that it is not the same thing but when was the last time you got a hamburger from McDonalds that looked anything remotely like the picture of it on the menu?  One of the best advertisement for cochlear implants has, is and always will be the recipients themselves, especially the adults.  They are who we sought out when considering the implant for our daughter and I believe that is what anyone considering an implant for themselves or for their child should do as well. Finally, while I do not have any reason to doubt the blogger's story about how uninformed the family she mentioned was about the ci and all that it entails; placing that blame on the medical community for the parents' ignorance is misplaced for it falls squarely upon the parents themselves. Having known and personally talked to hundreds of parents who have made the decision as well as many members of the medical community involved with cochlear implants, how the technology works is both explained and made available to parents at many steps along the decision making process, as well as the need for, and the importance of, post-ci speech and language therapy.  There is simply no excuse for any parent who has chosen ci surgery not to know how the device works. I have never heard any medical professional or parent describe the process of oral language development with a ci as akin to "the flick of a switch". If these parents were operating under those beliefs in order to make their cochlear implant decision then quite frankly they definitely were not listening to the medical community and did not do their homework by meeting with ci users and their families.  Shame on them. Still, want to emphasize this is a great blog post and one that any parent considering the ci for their child should read.Rick</blockquote>

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