Should Deaf People Get the Cochlear Implant Essay Example

📌Category: Health, Human Body
📌Words: 852
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 06 August 2020

I have a friend and a cousin who have a child that is deaf.  My friend son lose his hearing when he was at ten and my cousin daughter was born deaf.  Both of them was given the opportunity to have their children get the cochlear implant. My friend decided to put her son through the 4-hour surgery to get the cochlear implant, but my cousin decided to let her daughter decide when she got older about the cochlear implant.

According to psychologist Harlan Lane, it might be argued that the cochlear implant is not a good idea for a deaf person to get. In his words, a deaf person "may develop problems of personal identity, of emotional adjustment and even of mental health."(578)

 From this perspective engineer, Michael Chorost states “My hearing is no longer limited by the physical circumstance of my body” (9) and that the cochlear implant will offer a good solution to a deaf person because it can help a deaf person to hear some stuff.  In his words “hearing aids allowed me to understand speech well enough but most music was lost”(1), so with hearing aid some deaf people are able to hear everything and some can only hear certain things.

However, I think that if we could understand how the cochlear implant works as a hearing parent of deaf of children they could have a better understanding of what they should do about the cochlear implant. The first reason is some deaf children who are born deaf or who become deaf at an early age will not be able to have a conversation or even be able to speak with the implant. The second reason a deaf person getting the cochlear implant according to Lane “will not move easily in the hearing world it is unlikely that they would move easily in the deaf community.”(579)

According to Lane “nine out of ten deaf children have hearing parents.” (579)Some hearing parents that have deaf children feel that doing the cochlear implant would benefit their children. Some parents believe that if their deaf children get the implant the children could speak and hear just like a hearing child.  

Some children who get the implant cannot speak or hear that well and still needs to use an interpreter or learn ASL. Hearing parents who decided to put their children through the surgery are to benefit themselves because some parents would like to change their children, so they can fit into the parent’s lifestyle. When parents are going to decide about putting their children through the cochlear implant a parent needs to be informed about all their options and what the long term effect that it would have on their children.  Parents need to have an understanding of what it means to be Deaf and maybe the parent should allow their children to make their own decision when they get older.

As for the second reason when a deaf person gets the cochlear implant, it still does not make it easier for them.  Just as Lane stated a “deaf person with a cochlear implant will not move easily in the hearing world, it is unlikely that they would move easily in the deaf community.”(579)  In the hearing world, some people feel that even with the cochlear implant a deaf person is still deaf and not able to fit into their world.  Some people who get the cochlear implant are still not able to talk well and still have a hard time understanding what people are saying. 

Most hearing, people think that once a deaf person has the implant that the hearing person doesn't need to use ASL or talk to them face to face, so they can read their lips But in all reality some deaf people with the cochlear implant can hear better and talk but not all can hear very well and sometimes have a hard time expressing themselves with signing. As for the deaf community, they feel that a deaf person who gets the cochlear implant cannot except that they are deaf because they want to be part of the hearing world.  Being part of the deaf community can be great because they have lots of events, and they can do anything that a hearing person can.  

Most hearing, people feel that being deaf is a disability but a deaf person feels that being deaf is a culture.  The deaf community feels that the hearing world is trying to change them or that they are being selfish. The deaf community feels that hearing parents of deaf children or people who become deaf should maybe give the deaf culture a chance before doing the implant.  Maybe by them understanding how the deaf culture is might help them to make the right choice for them on getting the implant.

However, I think that hearing parents of deaf children and people who suddenly lost their hear should understand how the cochlear implant work before getting it done.  If hearing parents or people who lost their hearing goes and understand how the deaf culture is, so they can make the right decision about the cochlear implant. I have gone to a deaf social and it was neat experiences. I feel that if hearing people take the time to understand the deaf culture maybe they would realize that a deaf person is just like they are but talk a different way, but they have fun events just like the hearing world does.

 

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