Helpful Links!

National Foundation for the Deaf	http://www.nfd.org.nz/
Deaf Aotearoa NZ	http://www.deaf.co.nz/
NZ Audiological Society	http://www.audiology.org.nz/
Enable NZ	http://www.enable.co.nz/
Accessable	http://www.accessable.co.nz/
Ministry of Health	http://www.moh.govt.nz/
ACC	http://www.acc.co.nz/
Ear Nurse Specialist Group of NZ	http://www.ensg.co.nz/
International (see NFD site)	http://www.ata.org/ (American Tinnitus Assn)
American Speech Language Hearing Assn	http://www.asha.org/
Deafness Forum of Australia	http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/
Royal National Institute of the Deaf, UK	http://www.rnid.org.uk/
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People	http://www.shhhaust.org/

What is a Speech Language Pathologist?

Through the cen clear team my daughter had a very strong support system and this included a speech language pathologist, hearing therapist and a developmental specialist. If you curious as to what these are. I will begin by Speech Language Pathologist they are also known as speech therapist and here are many of the things that they are trained to do.

''' Communication includes speech (articulation, intonation, rate, intensity, voice, resonance, fluency), language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics), both receptive and expressive language (including reading and writing), and non-verbal communication such as facial ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech-language_pathologist

An individual with the necessary academic training and experience to be certified or licensed to diagnose and treat disorders of speech, language, and communication.
www.cleftline.org/parents/glossary_of_terms

professional that assists your child with his or her speech. This person can also help with the feeding and swallowing issues.
www.pierrerobin.org/glossary-MtoZ.htm

A speech language pathologist is a specialist in the diagnosis and non-medical treatment of speech and language disorders. An SLP obtains either a Master's or Doctoral level degree, and then completes a training fellowship prior to entering practice.
www.medel.com.ar/ENG/US/50_Resources/010_glossary.asp

a health professional trained to evaluate and treat people who have voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorders, including hearing impairment, that affect their ability to communicate.
www.chp.edu/CHP/P02036

An individual with a university degree, usually at the Masters level, who is registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario, and is qualified to assess speech, language and voice disorders and prescribe and implement therapeutic measures.
www.oafccd.com/factshee/fact59.htm

is a professional who is trained to assist in speech production, and language skills. This may be verbal or non-verbal (pictures, computers, signs)
www.bloorview.ca/resourcecentre/communityresources/glossary.php

means a person who holds a master's degree in speech language pathology and is a member or is qualified to be a member of the Canadian Speech and Hearing Association or any provincial/territorial association affiliated with it, or in the absence of such registry, a person with comparable ...
www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dgcb-dgras/ps/hd-sd/psh-rss/definiti-eng.asp

a specialist in the evaluation and treatment of oral-motor and oral-sensory skill development. A Pediatric SLP pays special attention to the implications for feeding, speech, and language development. Often works together with an Occupational Therapist.
faculty.olin.edu/~jcrisman/Service/KWTWebNews/Decision/commonly_used_terms.htm

is also an essential member of the cleft palate team. Children with cleft palate, while having no trouble with normal language development, can often have delayed speech development due to their mouth's unusual anatomy. ...
www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Cleft-lip-and-palate

Cen-Clear Child Services

Cen Clear offers many services to children and parents some of the programs they offer are
-Early Headstart
-Early Headstart/Child Welfare Services
-Head Start
-Head Start Child care Partnership
-Head Start School Collaboration Project
-Family Centers
-Full Day/ Full Year Headstart
-Parent Child Home Program
-Pre-K-Counts
-Step by Step (Early Intervention)
and many more if you are interested in getting more information and see other programs they offer you can check them out at http://www.cenclear.org/

Team Work

I was dissapointed at the appointment because I thought for sure she was going to like this and wear her cochlear but it was just a fight everyday to get her to wear it. I do remember this one day though we were working with her so hard and finally she let it on for a few minutes and her older sister looks at her and says "Im your sister Haley" it was the cutest thing ever and brought tears to my eyes because my daughet didn't know what anyones voices ever sounded like. But with the help of the early intervention program and the Hearing Therapist and Speech Language Pathologist we were all going to work together as a team to get my daughter to wear this device so she could be on her way to hearing.

Its time to hear

The wait was over, we were headed back to pittsburgh for my daughter to get her implant turned on. What an exciting day for us it was. I remember the whole family was there with cameras and video cameras just waiting to see this special moment. The time came to turn it on and guess what they had it to loud and it scared her so she didn't want to wear it. What a day! They didn't force her to but I was dissapoited I was thinking to myself. Did I make a mistake? What am I gonna do now?

How is this going to work?

If you are curious as to how this all is going to work. I have posted a video to help you understand.

Facts

Many people hear a lot of different things about a cochlear implant so I have provided you with some facts about the implants that may answer some of your questions or, you could check the website out where I got this information from because they have a lot more information on there.
http://www.hearingpocket.com/myths.shtml

Cochlear Implant Myths

Get to Know These Widely Held Beliefs So You Can Inform People of the True Facts

As parents of children with cochlear implants, we are somewhat used to the interest that our child’s cochlear implant generates. People “politely” stare at the coils on the head, some wonder silently, and others, when you inform them that it’s called a cochlear implant, respond with a blank face of total ignorance.
Occasionally, you do come across someone who thinks they know something or two about a cochlear implant. However, after speaking with them for a few moments, you may actually begin to wish that they would be of the former group. Their limited knowledge and understanding of what a cochlear implant is and how it works lends to some very basic misunderstandings that gives rise to the myths and legends that are so widespread.
Cochlear implants have had more than their fair share of myths and misconceptions since they first arrived. The source of these myths is not clear. Perhaps they are spread by those who oppose the use of cochlear implants, or they are the figment of someone’s imagination. Either way, the cochlear implant’s reputation will suffer as long as these beliefs are still widely accepted.
Here is a list of the 5 most common myths that we've encountered. It is important that cochlear implant users be knowledgeable enough to dispel these myths by properly educating those that are willing to learn the truth.


Myth # 1:"Cochlear Implants are attached to the brain."
Fact: Cochlear Implants are implanted in the inner ear (a.k.a. the cochlea) and avoid the area of the brain entirely.
Many people are led to believe that cochlear implant is a very sensitive and major surgery since it involves operating on the brain. There is also the fear that the internal component can go bad and “damage the brain” that it sits upon. All this is nonsense. The cochlear implant doesn’t go near the brain at all. The internal electrode array gets inserted into the inner ear canal or cochlea, and the receiver is placed right under the skin of the skull. The brain is not touched by any component of the cochlear implant, nor is it exposed at all during surgery.


Myth # 2:"Children with cochlear implants cannot learn to sing."
Fact: Hearing impaired children can learn music just as well as their hearing peers.
Music and song are very difficult areas for a hearing impaired person, as the sensitivities to the different keys and notes are necessary to both learn and appreciate its fine points. However, with the hard work and diligence that hearing impaired children are used to putting in, they too can be successful in this regard. Let’s not forget, Ludwig von Beethoven, the world’s most renowned musician, was profoundly deaf even as he produced widely acclaimed music!


Myth # 3:"Cochlear Implants are a cure for deafness."
Fact: Cochlear Implants make it possible for a deaf person to integrate with hearing society.
A very common misconception is that after receiving a cochlear implant, the child will become an ordinary hearing person. The fact is, auditory and language skills are only acquired with lots of hard work and training. The cochlear implant does not come close to be a replacement for natural hearing. And should the great success of the cochlear implant cause you to forget your child is deaf, there is always swimming time and bath time to remind you. 


Myth # 4: "Cochlear implant surgery will preclude the opportunity to benefit from future technology."
Fact: Cochlear implants are the best available technology to help a deaf child learn sound for the foreseeable future.
Much hype is generated about the possibility of hair-cell regeneration, and that the insertion of the electrode array into the cochlea will kill off any remaining hair cells that can be regenerated in the future. As many years have gone by without any “new technology” available, it is safe to assume that cochlear implants are the best bet for now. Any new technology, even should it become available, will require rigorous and lengthy safety testing before it is approved for use in children. During that time, your child would have been trained to speak and hear just like other kids.


Myth # 5: "Cochlear Implants are too experimental."
Fact: Cochlear implants have a well-established success record.
The concept that an implant can cause a deaf person to hear does sound like science fiction, leading people to believe that cochlear implants are experimental. Actually, cochlear implants have been approved by the FDA for use in children since 1990, and they have been used in tens of thousands of children around the world with very positive results. Before their approval, they underwent very rigorous testing, and their performance is constantly studied by experts to see how well the users are benefiting from them.


According to recent studies, only 15% of the deaf population in the United States choose to receive cochlear implants. This very small percentage may be as a result of people having wrong perceptions of them.
It is highly likely that a cochlear implant candidate will first discuss the implant with an actual CI user or parent before agreeing to be implanted. By being able to properly respond and inform the candidate, you will be more likely to succeed in convincing the candidate to undergo implantation, and thereby increase their quality of life