CHAMPIONS - Children With Additional Disabilities Thinking About Cochlear Implants

In recent years, the number of children in my practice investigating and receiving cochlear implants who have significant disabilities in addition to their deafness has increased substantially. The Champions booklet brings together the collective experience of some experts in the field of both cochlear implantation and children with complex needs. It highlights current knowledge, points to sources of further information and aims to support parents and those working with children, whether in implant teams or not, in giving cochlear implantation full consideration. It also provides Champions Evaluation Profiles to assess these complex children. See below.

Champions Click Here

Research Report to Advanced Bionics

Children with Cochlear Implants: Complex Needs: Complex Outcomes

Click Here

Children With Cochlear Implants and Complex Needs: A Review of Outcome Research and Psychological Practice 

Lindsey C. Edwards
Click Here

Champions Evaluation Profiles
  Cochlear Implant Assessment: Child Profile

This questionnaire needs to be filled in by all those who have direct contact with the child named below.  Please fill in the sections that are relevant to your knowledge of the child and give as much information as possible about other professionals who are also involved with the child’s care.

Please note that this form is designed to be as comprehensive as possible and therefore not all sections will be appropriate to the child that you are working with.

Date: ______________

Name of Child: ___________________________________         Hospital  Number:____________

Your name:   ___________________________          Title:           ____________________________

How long have you known this child?_____________________________________

Teacher of the Deaf

Name:         ___________________________            Title:           ____________________________

Address:   ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________              Email:          ____________________________

How long have you known this child?________How  often do you work with this child?__________

Educational Audiologist

Name:         ____________________________          Title:           ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________              Email:          ____________________________

How long have you known this child?                       _____________________________________

Speech and Language Therapist

Name:         ___________________________            Title:           ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________              Email:          ____________________________

How often do you work with the child?        Length of session?

________________________________________________________________________

MSI Teacher

Name:         ___________________________             Title:           ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

                   ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________              Email:          ____________________________

How often do you work with the child?    Length of session?

____________________________________                  

Physiotherapist/Occupational Therapist

Name:         ___________________________     Title:           ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

                   ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________        Email:          ____________________________

                                                                                                    

How often do you work with the child?   Length of session?

____________________________________                  

Other

Name:         ___________________________        Title:           ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

                   ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________      Email:          ____________________________

Main Day-care Provision (please circle):

At home                       Crèche                                    Childminder

Nursery: LEA / Private                        School: Mainstream / Specialist / Resourced

Please circle as appropriate for the following, giving name and contact telephone number.

1.     Does the child have a special support assistant or intervener?  Yes / No          No. of hours? _____

Name:         ___________________________      Telephone: ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

                   ________________________________________________________________________

2.     Does the child receive portage?        Yes / No

3.     Has an educational psychologist assessed the child?     Yes / No

Name:         ___________________________      Telephone: ____________________________

Address:    ________________________________________________________________________

                   ________________________________________________________________________

4.     Statement of Special Educational Needs (please ring as appropriate)

Not initiated                  Initiated                        Completed                   Review Month: ________________

Vision:
Visual field	Binocular co-ordination
Visual acuity	Colour vision
Contrast sensitivity	Light-darkness adaptation
Hearing:
Awareness of sound- both environmental and elicited	Imitation of sound
Response to sound (how is it manifested?)	Identification of sound

Communication skills:
Which method of communication is used with the child? (Please circle) Oral/Aural   Total communication        Sign supported English      BSL       Makaton    Picture Symbols
How does the child attempt to get the attention of others?	Does the child initiate interaction or only respond?
How are needs and wants expressed?	How are emotions expressed?
Is the child interested in taking part in any form of interaction?	Does the child associate any words, signs or symbols with another person, object or event?
What form does the interaction take?	Other Comments
Cognitive skills:
Can the child  attend to a task?	Can the child classify: sort or match?
Does the child have awareness of people, objects, events, places?	Does child have symbolic understanding?
Does the child demonstrate recognition of people, objects & places?	Does the child display imitation: the ability to copy or turn-take?
Memory: does the child show the ability to predict, store information in the short or longer term?	Curiosity: does child show the ability to explore immediate environment; any awareness of cause and effect or problem solving skills?
Does child show the ability to anticipate events?	Further comments?
Socialisation skills:
Child’s awareness of self and others	Is interaction with adults and children the same – is there a preference?
Form in which interaction takes place	Does child display attachments to others?
Environment:
Awareness of different environments?	Does child have preference for particular environment? If so, why?
Response to change?
General development:
Sitting unsupported, standing with support etc.)

Please add any further information that you feel may be helpful to us in assessing this child.

Thank you for taking the time to fill in this questionnaire
____________________________________________________________

References: Cochlear Implants and Complex Needs

• Meinzen-Derr J, Wiley S, Grether S, Choo DI. Language performance in children with cochlear implants and additional disabilities. Laryngoscope. 2009.

• Hans PS, England R, Prowse S, Young E, Sheehan PZ. UK and Ireland experience of cochlear implants in children with Down Syndrome. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2009.

• Johnson, Karen C.; DesJardin, Jean L.; Barker, David H.; Quittner, Alexandra L.; Winter, Margaret E. Cochlear Implants and Multiple Disabilities: Two Case Studies. Otology & Neurotology. 29(2):246-250, February 2008.

• Edwards L. Children With Cochlear Implants and Complex Needs: A Review of Outcome Research and Psychological Practice Journal Deaf Stud. Deaf Educ. (2007) 12 (3): 258-268.

• Edwards, Frost and Witham. Developmental delay and outcomes in paediatric cochlear implantation: implications for candidacy. Int J Pediatric Otorhinolarnoglogy 70(9) 1593-600 (2006)

• Holt and Kirk. Speech and Language development in cognitively delayed children with cochlear implants. Ear and Hearing 26, 132-148 (2005)

• Lee, Lustig, Sampson, Chinnici, Niparko. Effects of CMV related deafness on pediatric cochlear implant outcomes Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery 133, 900-905 (2005)

• Wiley S, HahnkeM, Meinzen-Derr, and Choo. Perceived qualitative benefits of cochlear implants in children with multi-handicaps. Int. J of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

• Filipo, Bosco, Mancini and Ballantyne. Cochlear implants in special cases: Deafness in the presence of disabilities and/or associated problems. Acta Otolaryngology Suppl. 552, 74-80 (2004)

• Donaldson, Amy Isaacs MA; Heavner, Krista S. MS; Zwolan, Teresa A. PhD Measuring Progress in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Have Cochlear Implants. Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery. 130(5):666-671, May 2004.

• http://www.audiologyonline.com/files/event/21400/21402/cochlearspecialneedshats.pdf

• "Deafblindness: where do we come from, where are we, and where are we going" Professor Claes Möller (3 April 2008) click here to view the script

• "Audiology Management of deaf children with additional complex needs" Dr Wendy McCracken (22 May 2007) as part of the Phonak Virtual Conference The lecture slides are available here