COCHLEAR IMPLANTS Madison Piper ASL 1 B Week 11-12

What is a Cochlear Implant? A Cochlear Implant is a very small device that presents a deaf person with sound. Cochlear Implants have all of the following:  Microphone: This collects sounds  Speech Processor: picks up and organizes the sounds the microphone receives.  Transmitter and Receiver-Stimulator: gets the signals from the processor and makes them into electric impulses.  Electrode Ray: Gathers the impulses and moves them to different areas of the auditory nerve.

 Cochlear implants circumvent the impaired portions of the ear to deliver the sound directly to the hearing nerve.  Also Implants grant deaf people the ability to detect warning signals like smoke detectors, fire alarms, etc. Why are Cochlear Implants Important

 While Hearing Aids amplify sounds and noises for damaged ears, Cochlear implants send sounds directly to the hearing nerve in the ear therefore allowing sounds and voices to be heard more clearly. Different from a Hearing Aid Cochlear Implant Hearing Aid

 Although some people deem Cochlear Implants as a miracle cure there are still people out there that don’t like the idea of the implant.  Some people don’t like it because it comes with long and intense postimplantation therapy, speech therapy, and adjusting.  Often people in the deaf community dislike the idea of the implant because they assume that hearing people are trying to change the deaf world.  Although others counter that by saying it is well worth the risk if someone can go from being deaf to eventually hearing the beautiful sounds of everyday life. Pro’s and Cons

I am all for the use of Cochlear Implants because people can benefit from them more often than not. I say that because it provides a way for deaf people to understand speech and can then be involved in conversations with hearing and deaf people. Personal Viewpoint

 Everyone has their own viewpoint on Cochlear Implants and therefore it can neither be right nor wrong. No one should tell someone to do it or not. It is what ever is in the best interest of the individual deciding. Cochlear implants like anything else have both good and bad qualities surrounding it. Although the Cochlear Implant doesn’t fully restore hearing it does in fact give deaf people the perception of the sound around them yet it involves a long period of therapy afterwards. In my personal opinion I think it is a great idea, just because I feel like someone who can be part of both the deaf community and the hearing community has the ability to go further in life and will see more opportunities come their way. Summing it Up