Cassidy Hinson ASL 1 Semester 2 Cochlear Implants Cassidy Hinson ASL 1 Semester 2

Cochlear Implants They are small, complex electronic devices that can help provide a dense of sound to a person who has hearing impediments. They bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve, which sends signals to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound

Parts of an Implant Microphone: Picks up sound from the environment Speech Processor: Selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone Transmitter (retriever/ stimulator): receives signals from the speech processor and convert them to electric impulses Electrode Array: Group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve Implants give a deaf person useful representation of sounds, it does not restore hearing

The Controversy Pros Cons Allows people to hear helpful noises like a door bell or alarm Good for people who want to be a part of the hearing world and communicate with listening, speaking and lip reading Requires surgery and rehabilitation and learning how to use the implant People of the deaf community feel as though people who get these are ‘stuck between’ the hearing and deaf worlds

My View I believe that cochlear implants are a good thing for those who want them. I feel like if parents of a deaf child want to get a cochlear implant, they should when the child is young so they can get accustomed to it at a young age. But I also believe that the child should also be taught to sign, so they can make the decision as to what path they want to take as adults.

References https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/coch.as px http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Cochlear-Implant/ http://blog.lib.umn.edu/farre212/f11psy1001ds1415/2011 /10/the-cochlear-implant-a-modern-miracle.html (picture)