Activating your child's cochlear implant
Additional information about the activation of cochlear implants in children and what questions to ask a hearing health professional about this process.
Page contents
- Questions to ask the hearing health professional.
- Information about the child's activation appointment and beyond.
- The importance of practice and rehabilitation.
A few weeks after the surgery, an appointment with the audiologist is planned for the activation of the children's sound processor.
What follows is a list of questions to ask the hearing health professionals team about how activation works and what hearing may be like at this moment.
Questions for parents to ask about activation day and beyond
- What happens during the appointment?
- What does activation feel like?
- Will the child hear straight away?
- How will it sound?
- How long will it take the child to adjust to the new sound?
- How is the device positioned on the child's head?
- How does it work?
- Are there any special recommendations for using the device?
- How often do the batteries need changing?
- How should the sound processor be stored and maintained?
- What resources and activities may be recommended for rehabilitation?
- What happens if the child’s hearing changes over time?
- Is there a network of families of cochlear implant recipients to connect with?
Activation day
The hearing health professional will explain how the sound processor works and how to care for it.
He or She will programme the sound processor and set the volume for different pitch levels that are adapted for the child. This may take some time.
The child's hearing health professional will then switch on the implant.
It may take time to train the brain to understand the signals it receives. A hearing health specialist can provide further help and details about this process.
After the sound processor is activated
After the initial activation of the sound processor, several appointments with a hearing health professional may be necessary over the next several months for fine-tuning and might form part of the rehabilitation process for the child.
It's advisable to follow the sound processor's guidelines for care and maintenance.
Practice and time
Rehabilitation plays an important role in hearing results with a device. That's why it may be useful to practice listening and speaking as much as possible.
A hearing health professional can provide advice about practising with the device and information about rehabilitation programmes proposed.
More information
Disclaimer
Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always follow the directions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.
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