Cochlear Implants
A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that can provide a sense of sound to someone who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing (NIDCD, 2018). Cochlear implants are a fairly new technology, just over 50 years old now (Raiguru, 2012). However, the idea of trying to “cure” deafness has been medical professionals’ goals for hundreds of years. It is time for Utah and other places alike to stop enforcing cochlear implants to children that are born deaf. The doctors should give all the options to the parents, not just a single option that is expensive, irreversible, and does not always work. Some options should include learning sign language and involvement in Deaf culture.
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First, it is vital to bring up the complications that can come from this intensive surgery. They include but are not excluded to, bleeding, facial paralysis, infection of the device and at the surgery site, dizziness, spinal fluid leaks, and even meningitis (Mayo clinic staff, 2020). While there are also benefits to this medical procedure including clearer hearing and improved tinnitus. However, the results vary depending on how old you are when you get the procedure or when you become deaf.
It is important for doctors to express all the options to parents so they do not feel that there may be something “wrong” with their child. Most Deaf children are born to hearing parents, “…deaf children of deaf parents may constitute only 4% of the deaf population in the United States” (Meier, 2016). This means that many parents of deaf children are unaware of everything that being deaf may have to offer. Since so many medical professionals only discuss the cochlear, they do not see what their child may experience if they were told various options.
Medical professionals should explain to parents the importance and benefits of using sign language. Language acquisition begins at a very early age and children born deaf sometimes miss out on this. When this happens, the child falls behind in reading, writing, as well as speaking. However, it is possible for a deaf child to achieve language acquisition, and it is through sign language. While it is a visual rather than oral language, being able to express themselves helps them achieve these benefits. The usage of sign language is still necessary even if the child does get a cochlear implant because the success rates are still not 100% effective and it is a mechanical hearing that some people do not enjoy. Sign language is not only important for language acquisition, but it helps open a world of the Deaf culture.
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Deaf culture is very strong and abundant. Deaf culture is something that revolves around sign language and similar experiences. It has been around for many years, but only in the last 30 years has been something that others are recognizing. Having a group of people that are like you and can understand what you have been through is important for anyone. I do believe that by seeing what these people do and how they interact is so important for both deaf individuals and their family members because deafness is not something that has been normalized yet. While many people accept the deaf communities and offer them a spot in society, they are often still forgotten and lost. Having the culture, language, and community to be with them is not only helpful but necessary. If medical professionals could recommend parents to go to a community center or meet some other deaf people, it could bring light to what it means to be deaf and make it easier for the parents to understand and help their children.
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It is not just medical professionals who should be taking these steps to educate people on the deaf. Just as we learn about other nationalities and occurrences in history, foreign language classes, and even the grocery store, deaf people should have their voices heard. While getting all the information possible is helpful to parents of deaf children, it is also beneficial for everyone to understand part of their history and current lives. I believe that educating new parents of deaf individuals as well as the majority of the world understand what deaf people need in terms of education and support.