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Abstract:
Since 2000 over 100 postlingually
deafened adults have been successfully implanted at the
Cochlear Implant Centre Leiden- Effatha (CIRCLE). For the
post-operative rehabilitation a structured aural training
program was developed. Observation and analysis of 55 therapeutic
sessions showed six key elements in daily practice: speech
(and not sound) perception as the main focus of the training,
the intensiveness of the training, special focus on details
in aural perception, training of metacognitive skills, direct
feedback to facilitate creation of sound- and word representation,
and sequential therapeutic decisions based upon the growth
potential. Literature study provided support for each of
these elements. This study resulted in a theoretical background,
a model, which enables us (1) to teach and explain the aural
training and (2) makes it possible to study the effect of
specific elements of the aural training program.
Keywords:
Cochlear Implant, rehabilitation,
aural training, structured program, postlingually deafened.
Introduction:
Since the start in 2000 over
a hundred children and adults have been implanted at the
Cochlear Implant Centre Leiden- Effatha (CIRCLE). In order
to learn to use the new auditive input, aural training after
cochlear implantation is common practice in the Netherlands.
For the rehabilitation of the post lingual deafened adults
a structured aural training program has been developed.
Together with the modern implant, the fitting strategy based
upon experience with conventional hearing aids and on model
insights (Briaire 2003;Briaire 2004), this training forms
the foundation for an improved speech perception. For most
patients "open set" speech perception without lip-read is
now feasible (Frijns, Briaire, & Grote 2001). First the
relevant characteristics of the used cochlear implant (CI)
and the procedure from selection to rehabilitation will
be described. Next the original aural training, which functioned
as a starting point for the development of the present aural
training program, will be described. Then recent results
of the first 100 adult CI-users and the principal developments
will be described. Next the objective, design, methods,
results and conclusions of this study will be presented.
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