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Children and Young People's Rehab

When a Cochlear Implant is first switched on it gives the user access to sound. Similar to a new born baby, a Cochlear Implant user has to tune in to the sounds they are hearing and begin to understand what these sounds mean. If your child is aged between 0 and 18, they will have access to one of our Rehab Advisors who will support you and your child to help develop their listening skills, alongside your local team.

Every child will progress with their listening and language skills at their own rate. Many things can affect your child’s progress such as:

  • Age at which their hearing loss was identified

  • Hearing aid use

  • Age at switch on

  • Processor use

  • Family involvement

  • Additional/Complex developmental difficulties or delay

 

0-3 Years Post Implant

Your Rehab Advisor will be most involved with you and your child at the early stages post switch on. You will meet your Rehab Advisor during the assessment process and they will stay as your main cochlear implant team contact until your child leaves High School.

Your Rehab Advisor may see you during programming appointments at Crosshouse or at local outreach clinics. Your Rehab Advisor will support and monitor your child’s development with listening after switch on. They will also monitor your child’s spoken language development. Rehab Advisors work closely with other professionals in your local area who are responsible for the day to day support of listening and language development.

Find out more about this stage here

 

School Aged Children

The Rehab Team will actively monitor your child’s listening and language development up to 5 years post implant. You may decide together that active monitoring is no longer needed at any stage after 2 years post implant if your child’s listening and access to sound is developing as expected. The Rehab Advisor will continue to be the key contact for the young person. They will continue to have termly updates and meetings with the local professionals who support your child. 

Find out more about this stage here

 

Moving into Adulthood

Your rehab advisor will plan to see you as you approach age16 and are preparing for leaving school. You will complete functional listening assessments on the Crescent of Sound at Crosshouse Hospital or using equipment at a local outreach clinic. A language assessment will also be completed to gather information about how you use and understand language. A final Rehab report will be written and your Rehab Advisor can help signpost you to any additional supports you may require. You will continue to receive programming appointments only going forward.

Click here to find out more about this stage