Beep, Beep: Cochlear Implants Help the Deaf Hear

Susan Meyer

ENG 102-048

Rogerian Argument Essay

29 April 2013

Beep, Beep: Cochlear Implants Help the Deaf Hear

            Deafness is not something most people think of on a day to day basis unless they know someone who is deaf and sees them struggling to communicate with the outside world. One of my closest friends is deaf, legally blind, and suffers with Asperger’s, a form of autism that slows social skills. Of all of these handicaps my friend, Rachael, faces there is not a cure, but there is a way medically to enhance her hearing. Enhancing her hearing would tremendously change her life, for the better. Cochlear implants are highly controversial, though they can take away from the deaf culture, having some sense of hearing will greatly impact those who are hearing impaired and they will significantly change their everyday lives.

            According to Elif Baysal, “Congenital hearing loss is a common birth defect that affects approximately 1-3 of every 1000 births” (“The Polymorphisism of the MBL2”).  This quote proves hearing loss to be a significant problem in today’s world. Hearing loss has no cure; however, many people who undergo hearing loss use hearing aids and some get a cochlear implant. What is a cochlear implant, anyways? As shown in figure one, it “is a device that provides direct electrical stimulation to the auditory (hearing) nerve in the inner ear” (“Cochlear Implants”). Cochlear implants are not suitable for everyone. In fact, to have the implant, a patient must first see a surgeon at the “cochlear implant center [where] more testing is done to determine whether the person is a suitable candidate” (“Cochlear Implants”). This quote explains that before receiving a cochlear implant one must first see a surgeon to discuss the possibility of the surgery. Benefits from a cochlear implant depend on a variety of different factors, such as “age, language skills, and motivation of patient and family members” (“Cochlear Implants”). There are people who are better suited candidates than others. Adults who are best suited for a cochlear implant include people who

have severe to profound hearing loss in both ears, have had limited benefit from hearing aids, have no other medical problems that would make the surgery risky, have a strong desire to be a part of the hearing world and communicate through listening, speaking, and speechreading, and have lost their hearing after speech and language development. (“Cochlear Implants”)

This quote shows that if people have certain specifications, the implant is likely to be very successful. Children who “have profound hearing loss in both ears, have had limited benefit from hearing aids, are healthy and have no medical conditions that would make the surgery risky” are the best candidates for a cochlear implant, showing that children with certain conditions can also have a successful experience with the cochlear implant (“Cochlear Implants”). By requiring those who wish to get a cochlear implant first to discuss the procedure with a surgeon and determine whether or not they are a good candidate, shows that cochlear implants are beneficial when implanted on a suitable patient.

Fig. 1. Cochlear implants are implanted in the inner ear and connect sounds from the outside that are transferred to the brain (Google Images).

                Imagine for a moment not being able to hear. Someone with hearing loss cannot hear in the same way hearing people do. Though some hearing loss is not as poor as others, hearing loss makes everyday life difficult. Someone with hearing loss may not be able to talk on the phone, or struggles to do so. People who struggle with hearing loss may not be able to hear their teachers in the classroom setting and then are put into a deaf program where they may not be as academically challenged as they are in a regular classroom setting. For example, my friend Rachael attends Newton North High School after previously attending Bristol Plymouth High School where she was not challenged to reach her full potential simply because the deaf program she was in did not challenge her intellectual ability. Rachael Weber often said to me, “Just because I am deaf, does not mean I am stupid. My teacher’s treat me like a child” (Rachael Weber). She should not feel as if teachers are giving her easier work because she is deaf. As shown below in figure two, in that it is visible to the eye below the cochlear implant is visible like a hearing aid; however, it is much more powerful because it connects directly to the inner ear. Having a cochlear implant enables those who are deaf to experience sound. Though the cochlear implant does not cure deafness, it helps them to hear significantly better. With a cochlear implant, it would be easier for people who have hearing loss to be able to work with others, who are hearing, and to be more involved in society because they will be able to communicate better with the outside world.

Fig. 2. Every child deserves to be able to experience life the way they chose to do so (Google Images).

            According to Alexandra Quittner, “Children with sensorineural hearing loss demonstrate less verbal skills, poorer academic achievement, and delayed behavior and social development compared with normal-hearing peers” (“Effects of Maternal Sensitivity”). This medical condition shows that by receiving a cochlear implant, people with hearing loss would be given some hearing, allowing them to achieve at a higher level. By utilizing new technological advances, people with hearing loss can be given back some, but not all, of their hearing. Having some hearing will allow them to be able to “acquire verbal skills more easily, achieve higher in academics due to better communication, and behave and develop in a social environment in which they can interact with others more efficiently” (“Cochlear Implants”).

            As cochlear implants become more popular “the need for individuals with profound hearing loss to know ASL has diminished, and, consequently, the need to be established in the deaf community” (Cochlear Implants Change Deaf Culture).  This quote shows that the increase of people receiving cochlear implants is causing the deaf culture to decline. Tina Childress claims that, “If you have to pick one thing that is the unifying factor for deaf culture; it’s the use of ASL” (Cochlear Implants Change Deaf Culture). Childress explains that the reason deaf culture is diminishing is because people who are receiving cochlear implants are beginning to stray away from using American Sign Language.  About “4 percent [of deaf people] … are born deaf via genetic inheritance … [their parents believe] there are two trains of thought: the medical and the cultural” when it comes to considering a cochlear implant (Cochlear Implants Change Deaf Culture). This quote shows that deaf people feel that there is more to being deaf than just hearing loss; the deaf culture provides for a powerful sense of community. My friend, Rachael Weber, plans to receive a cochlear implant and will be attending Gallaudet University in the fall, a university created for the deaf.

There are many ways to feel accepted in society without getting a cochlear implant. Receiving a cochlear implant is a choice. It is not mandatory. Though many may feel that it takes dignity away from deaf culture, for those who wish to have it, why not let them do so. Due to the fact that receiving a cochlear implant is a choice, I believe it is a valid advancement for those who seek it. Others are also concerned about the potential risk factors that are brought about by cochlear implantation. Personal choice is a large factor contributing to cochlear implantation. Whether one believes it is right or wrong to have one, it comes down to the individual’s decision to do so.

            There is a way to receive a cochlear implant and keep in touch with the deaf culture. To reach this compromise, one who receives a cochlear implant could continue using sign language on a daily basis to keep the deaf culture alive. By continuing to use sign language and using the cochlear implant as more of an aid, rather than something to solely depend on, one who receives the cochlear implant will not feel as if deafness is something to be ashamed of. Receiving a cochlear implant would not only allow one to hear better but will give them the opportunity to achieve to their highest potential. Cochlear implants do not rule out deaf culture, rather than viewing cochlear implants as a cure, they should be seen to be a tool used to enhance learning and communication while continuing to use sign language and remaining a proud member of the deaf culture.

           

 

Works Cited

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Quittner, Alexandra L., et al. "Effects of Maternal Sensitivity and Cognitive and Linguistic Stimulation on Cochlear Implant Users' Language Development over Four Years." Journal of Pediatrics Feb. 2013: 343-348.e3. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.

"The polymorphisms of the MBL2 and MIF genes associated with Pediatric Cochlear Implant Patients." International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 77.3 (2013): 338+. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.

Tribushinina, Elena, Steven Gillis, and Sven De Maeyer. "Infrequent word classes in the speech of two- to seven-year-old children with cochlear implants and their normally hearing peers: A longitudinal study of adjective use." International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 77.3 (2013): 356+. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.

Weber, Nancy. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2013.

Weber, Rachael. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2013.