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While many people assume that students with cochlear implants haveplacements in mainstream schools, almost 25 percent of the approximately175 students at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), theresidential high school on the campus of Gallaudet University inWashington, D.C., have an implanted listening device. Working with thesestudents, professionals encounter a group that is ethnically, culturally, andeducationally diverse.

Some students arrive from general educational settings; some arrive from schools for thedeaf. Some have been educated primarily through spoken language; others use both spokenand signed languages. Some learn visually; others have strong auditory skills andpreferences. Some received their implants when they were very young; others just gotthem. Some love their implants and use them all the time; others feel ambivalence and usetheir implants periodically. Despite these differences, all have gone through the experienceof surgery, and all have lived with an implanted listening device. In fact, having a cochlearimplant provides a common bond for these young individuals.The professionals at MSSD have discovered that providing opportunities for these

students to come together and interact can be an important part of their personal andsocial success. A multidisciplinary group of professionals—including speech-languagepathologists, audiologists, school counselors, school psychologists, teachers, and graduate

Debra Nussbaum,MA, CCC-A, managesprojects on languagedevelopment andcommunication supportat the Laurent ClercNational Deaf EducationCenter, located on thecampus of GallaudetUniversity inWashington, D.C. Since1977, she has beeninvolved in direct serviceprovision in audiology aswell as resourcedevelopment, research,and professional training.

Genie Chisholm,MA, CCC-SLP, is aspeech-languagepathologist at the LaurentClerc National DeafEducation Center. Inaddition to providingdirect service to students,she is coordinator ofsupport services and acertified “See-The-SoundVisual Phonics” trainer.

By Debra Nussbaum, Genie Chisholm, Rebecca Galloway, Venita Dzime-Assison, and Jane Doyle

High School Students with Cochlear Implants:

Coming Together for Success

Photos by Susan M. Flanigan

2017 ODYSSEY 25

interns—collaborates to plan three to fourgatherings a year to give students the chance totalk about their experiences and challenges.These events provide an opportunity to explorehelpful listening accessories and discusseffective language and communicationstrategies, especially those that include socialmedia. They address identity issues andconnect with deaf adults, who may or may notuse cochlear implants, within the community.

The Bond of ImplantationGetting Together to Learn—andHave FunAll students with cochlear implants andstudents with other technologies that rely onimplantation, such as implanted boneconduction hearing systems, are encouraged(but not required) to attend these meetings. Itdoes not matter how consistently students usetheir devices or whether they have a single or abilateral implant. Some students who have hadtheir device’s internal components removedhave come, as well as students who areconsidering a cochlear implant for themselvesand those who are curious to learn more aboutthe technology. Typically 35-40 students

attend the meetings. Pizza is a strongmotivator!The meetings occur at the beginning or the

end of the day or during lunch so they do notinterfere with academics. Informationpublicizing each gathering is shared withstudents, staff, and families. Planning startseach year when every MSSD student with animplant is given a needs assessment. Theassessment, completed either in print orthrough a face-to-face meeting, gathersinformation about each student’s implant,communication background, feelings about hisor her device, and possible supports. Afterreviewing the needs assessments, as well asbrainstorming with the students themselves, atheme for each meeting is identified. Each meeting includes an opportunity for

social interaction as well as a structuredlearning experience. Students are encouraged tomingle informally, and technology and gamesare incorporated to promote their engagement.Activities are structured around topics toencourage information exchange, and ground

Above: Students learn about home and family

communication tips while enjoying cupcakes and popcorn.

RebeccaGalloway, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-languagepathologist and a PhDstudent. She haspracticed in both generaleducation settings and atthe Laurent ClercNational Deaf EducationCenter.

Venita Dzime-Assison, AuD, CCC-A, has worked for 30years as an audiologist atthe Laurent ClercNational Deaf EducationCenter. She has beeninvolved in resourcedevelopment andprofessional training.

Jane Doyle, MS,CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist atthe Laurent ClercNational Deaf EducationCenter. She is in theprocess of completing amaster’s degree inreading at JohnsHopkins University.Doyle is the mother oftwo adopted childrenwho are deaf.

The authors welcomequestions and commentsabout this articlethrough Nussbaum atdebra.nussbaum@gallaudet.edu.

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rules are established to ensureinformation is conveyed in a nonbiasedand respectful manner. An evaluation iscompleted at the end of each meeting todetermine if the students enjoyed theactivity and if learning objectives weremet. Some highly successful activities have

included using:

• personal videos developed by thestudents that demonstrate how touse assistive listening accessories toconnect to media;

• a “Jeopardy”-style game involvingtruths and misconceptions aboutcochlear implants;

• a Speed Meet and Greet, duringwhich students move quickly frompeer to peer asking each otherquestions related to cochlearimplants;

• The Line Game, in which students“meet at the line” according to areasof commonality (e.g., theprofessional leading the meetingcalls out such statements as: “Cometo the line if you use your cochlearimplant every day.” or “Come to theline if you went to a mainstream

school.”); and

• polling technologies (e.g., TurningTechnologies ResponseWare,www.turningtechnologies.com) to surveystudents on opinions about topicssuch as the advantages anddisadvantages of a cochlearimplant, the decision to obtaina cochlear implant, or theadvice about implants that theywould offer to others.

The groups have also enjoyedopportunities for:

• participation in an essay conteston the topic of “What WouldYou Tell Other Deaf StudentsWho Are Considering Gettinga Cochlear Implant and Why?”;

• presentations from cochlearimplant manufacturers onassistive listening accessoriesand how they connect tosmartphones, tablets, and otherportable devices; and

• panel discussions involvingGallaudet University studentsand MSSD staff who usecochlear implants.

Teens DemonstrateIndependence andAdvocacy—And a Need for KnowledgeWe have learned that students withcochlear implants at this age and stageof development are transitioning tobecoming greater advocates forthemselves in the use and care of theirimplant. At the same time, they mayhave limited knowledge about thedevice they are using. For example, theymay not be aware of the company thatmanufactured their cochlear implant orthe many accessories that are availablefor it—accessories that can afford themincreased opportunities for connectivityto media or improved listening in noisysituations. In addition, as many of the students

are teens, issues arise that are central toidentity development. Students may

26

Below: A student evaluates the activity,

answering questions such as: Did you socialize

with other students? Did you learn any tips for

communicating? Was this a supportive

environment in which to share your

experiences?

Above: The students brainstorm a name for the group.

express interest in exploring questionssuch as: Why did my parents decidethat I should have a cochlear implant?Do I fit more in the hearing communityor the Deaf community? Now that I amin a school for the deaf, should I use mycochlear implant? From many years of providing these

group gatherings, we have seen howmuch students appreciate theseopportunities and learn from them. Wehave observed that this opportunity fillsin gaps that may not have beenotherwise addressed in students’educational or personal experiences. Wefeel this kind of structured yet informalinteraction is important in the programof every student who has an implanteddevice. Professionals and volunteers from

various settings—school districts,cochlear implant clinics, civicorganizations such as Lions Clubs orSertoma—can help establish after-school activities, clubs, camps, andweekend experiences to bring studentswith cochlear implants together.Students who live in rural areas or findgetting together is difficult because ofgeography may find similar interactionthrough FaceTime, Skype, or othervideo chatting software. Based on the

growing number of younger childrenwith cochlear implants who arebecoming teenagers, providing theseopportunities for social engagementshould be considered an integral part ofpromoting student success. At MSSD, students with implants

have access to a wide variety of servicesprovided at school. These services areintegral to ensuring students haveproperly functioning technology andthat they benefit from it to capacity.Services include:

• audiological services (including acomplete audiological evaluation,troubleshooting when problemsdevelop with implant equipment,and education regarding assistivedevices to support listening withtheir implant),

• access to spare and loaner parts

• auditory and speech trainingprovided by a speech-languagepathologist based on goalsdocumented through the IEPprocess, and

• counseling (as needed).

Each of these services is important.However, it is also important toremember that one of the best supportswe can provide for our students is theopportunity to get together. This iswhat the professionals at the ClercCenter have done—allowed our studentsto meet, talk with each other about theirimplants, and explore their ownquestions. We have found that while weoffer a wide range of supports for deafand hard of hearing students withcochlear implants, sometimes one of thebest supports we can provide for them iseach other.

Resources to Support Teenswith Cochlear Implants

• Teens and Adults (Cochlear Corporation),www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/au/home/support/rehabilitation-resources/teens-and-adults

• Tweens & Teens: Telephone with Confidence,www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/communication-corner/program-intro/tweens-teens-telephone.htm

• Telephone Tips (Med El), www.medel.com/us/user-support-telephone-tips/

• Guide to Access Planning (Phonak-Planning Guide for Teens withHearing Loss), www.phonak.com/us/ en/support/children-and-parents/planning-guide-for-teens.html

• Young Adult Network (Hearing Loss Association of America),www.hearingloss.org/content/young-adults-0

• Encouraging Peer Support Groups (Alexander Graham BellAssociation), www.agbell.org/Document.aspx?id=1517

I didn’t realize how

many other students

had CIs. I know that a

cochlear implant

doesn’t work for

everyone, but it has

worked for me.

~ Justina, 12th grade, MSSD student

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