Cochlear implants for younger children: a preliminary description of the parental decision process and outcomes

The authors conducted a preliminary telephone interview study of a random sample of 35 parents whose children had received cochlear implants through a large-scale implant program. Parents were asked about their child's preimplant and postimplant communications skills, how they learned about implants, and how they arrived at the decision to have their child receive an implant. Results of the interviews suggest, a least for this program, that two types of decision sequences are followed. One type of parent has initial and primary contact through a medical practitioner, uses that source of information exclusively, and is motivated by a desire for a "normal" communication situation. The second type of parent learns about implants from another parent, family member, or teacher. This individual will seek other sources of information and is most often motivated by the child's lack of communication skill. Generally, from parents' perspective, language and speech rather than improved social skills or social contact are the primary benefits of the implant.