Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
The Role of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability in
1Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC), Gladesville, NSW, Australia; The Hearing CRC, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Early diagnosis and cochlear implant (CI) fitting benefit most infants. The International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability (ICF) framework supports holistic, long-term management for pediatric CI recipients, considering environmental factors.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening enables early diagnosis of hearing loss.
- Early cochlear implant (CI) fitting is beneficial for infants under 12 months meeting candidacy criteria.
- Comorbidities are common in children with hearing loss, often emerging later in infancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the preliminary use of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability (ICF) framework.
- To demonstrate how the ICF facilitates holistic management of pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
- To establish a pathway for the longitudinal management of pediatric CI recipients.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the ICF framework for clinical practice and service planning.
- Mapping recipient progress over time using the ICF to identify emerging issues.
- Applying the ICF to develop advocacy skills, identify service eligibility, and enable telepractice.
Main Results:
- The ICF provides a conceptual framework for policy and program development in pediatric CI services.
- Preliminary use of the ICF has established clinical practice and advocacy skills.
- The ICF aids in identifying service eligibility and facilitating access to services like telepractice.
Conclusions:
- The ICF framework is crucial for the holistic and longitudinal management of pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
- Environmental and social factors significantly influence outcomes and must be integrated into service planning.
- This ICF-based model offers a clear pathway for managing pediatric CI recipients and can be applied to other CI populations.
Abstract:
Newborn hearing screening has led to the early diagnosis of hearing loss in neonates and early device fitting is common, based primarily on electrophysiologic and radiologic information, with some supplementary behavioral measures. Such early fitting of hearing devices, in particular cochlear implants (CIs), has been beneficial to the majority of children implanted under the age of 12 months who meet the cochlear implant candidacy criteria. Comorbidities are common in children with hearing loss, although they may not be evident in neonates and may not emerge until later in infants. Evidence suggests that the child's outcomes are strongly influenced by a range of environmental factors including emotional and social support from the immediate and extended family. Consequently, such factors are important in service planning and service delivery for babies and children receiving CIs. The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability (ICF) can provide a framework to facilitate the holistic management of pediatric cochlear implant recipients. The ICF also can be used to map the progress of recipients over time to highlight emerging issues that require intervention. This article will discuss our preliminary use of the ICF to establish clinical practice; develop advocacy skills among clients and their families; identify eligibility for services such as support in educational settings; enable access to modes of service delivery such as telepractice; provide a conceptual framework for policy and program development for pediatric cochlear implant recipients (i.e., in both disability and health services); and, most importantly, establish a clear pathway for the longitudinal management of the cochlear implant in a child's future. It is anticipated that this model will be applied to other populations receiving cochlear implants through our program.
