For children who are deaf or hard of hearing and seeking listening and spoken language outcomes, there are so many questions to ask. Which technology does my child need, what kind of therapy, and what will the outcomes be? if it’s determined your child is a candidate for cochlear implants, the questions continue. Families have to decide which cochlear implant company they want to use, which processor they want, which surgeon…it’s a lot to consider.

As a speech language pathologist I work with families who have gone through this process, but haven’t been there myself. Colleen Kehoe Powell has, and on an episode of All Ears at Child’s Voice, she discussed the parent perspective on cochlear implants.

Colleen talked about some of the questions parents should think about and ask when they’re choosing a cochlear implant company. I thought Colleen’s list was really thorough and helpful, and she definitely asked questions I wouldn’t have thought of. I reached out to Colleen to ask if I could share her list, and she happily sent me her post. If you’re in the process of choosing a cochlear implant company for your child, I’d highly suggest reading through her list it it’s entirety.

For those of you who aren’t there yet, but are still interested or curious, I’ll summarize the main categories of questions she discusses:

• Questions about the internal implant–since this is the part of the implant that will be with your child for life, it may be the most important part to ask about.
• Questions about the cochlear implant company–Much like the internal implant, you’ll be dealing with the implant company for much of your child’s life when you need replacement parts, help troubleshooting, repairs, etc.
• Questions about the external processor–Colleen makes a great point that even though this is the part of the cochlear implant you see the most, it’s also the piece that is mostly likely to get upgraded, improved, etc. and so although it’s important, it may not be the first thing on your list. In the podcast, Colleen makes a great point that it may feel like you should choose a cochlear implant company based on what new or innovative processor technology they just came out with that other companies don’t have. But, as she points out, the major companies almost always keep up with each other, so if the company you’re considering doesn’t have the technology you want yet, odds are good that they will soon.

If you’re the parent of a child with a cochlear implant, what questions do you wish you knew to ask when you were starting out on the journey?