The Experiences of Deaf Young People with Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implants

Abstract

Fifteen young people who had received sequential bilateral cochlear implants were interviewed about their experiences. The majority had become full-time users, and all found improvements in listening with the second implant, including those who did not continue to wear it. All would recommend sequential bilateral implantation to their peers. For those who became successful users of their second implant, there were reported benefits in terms of localization, listening in noise, and general ease of listening; the pattern and extent of these reported improvements varied.

The process of rehabilitation after a second sequential bilateral implant in this group was highly individual but generally lengthy, not straightforward and required perseverance and support. The factors that predicted successful use of a sequential implant were not easy to determine, but those who were post-lingually deafened or had a deteriorating hearing loss adjusted more easily to the second implant. Although the young people in the group had been advised to expect difficulties, the nature of these and the extent of the problems they might experience were not fully understood by them.

Parents were important in ensuring that their children persevered with wearing the implant. The group reported little rehabilitation support from cochlear implant centres during their transition to using two implants. Those who were offered and took up individual listening sessions with a speech and language therapist or teacher of the deaf valued this. The young people would have valued the opportunity to discuss a second implant with others who had been through the experience.

Keywords:

• deaf young people
• cochlear implants
• bilateral implants
• young person's perspective

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the young people who agreed to be interviewed for their important contribution to this research. The study was supported by a grant from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, UK.