The Cochlear Implant Is 10% Hardware And 90% Software

A cochlear implant is a small, electronic device that can help provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear. A cochlear implant does not restore or create normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful auditory understanding of the environment and help him or her to understand speech. Since 1990, thousands of children and adults have received cochlear implants. Cochlear implants were designed for persons with severe to profound hearing losses that obtain little benefit from hearing aids.

Cochlear implants are the only medical technology able to functionally restore one of the five senses. Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sound, cochlear implants are electronic devices that bypass the damaged part of your inner ear so that you can hear your best.

Here is a clear video that briefly demonstrates hearing, hearing loss and how a CI functions.

 “It’s been said that the cochlear implant is 10% hardware and 90% software. And the software is what you do with the device and involves the family and the Auditory Verbal program that emphasizes listening and speaking skills. Cochlear implants are tools, not miracles. But the results can be miraculous with the right software in place.

The journey starts with knowledge steps whether you are an adult with hearing loss or helping your child be successful with learning to listen and use spoken language.

 See more at: http://listeningandspokenlanguage.org/