Growing Up With Cochlear Implants: Development of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Adolescents

The introduction of pediatric cochlear implants more than 30 years ago has changed the lives of deaf children and their families and the field of deaf education, early intervention, and research. However, discussions about cochlear implantation have sometimes come with unrealistic expectations or strong objections. Expectations have sometimes been exaggerated, predicting for example almost full restoration of hearing. At the same time, cochlear implantation has been met by fierce criticism from many deaf people, but also by some professionals and researchers, who feel that cochlear implantation leads to a devaluation of sign language and deaf culture.

Although the extremes in the debate concerning the benefits and risks of pediatric cochlear implantation have decreased over the years, nuances in popular, professional, and scientific discourse are sometimes missing. This book provides a comprehensive and balanced look at the prospects of growing up with cochlear implants, primarily based on the results of empirical research. The authors explore the results of implantation on child development , the limitations and risks, the upbringing of children with an implant, and factors that can make implantation and upbringing complex and controversial, such as additional disabilities of the child or growing up in a multilingual and multicultural environment, whether or not with the use of sign language within or in relation to the deaf community.

Harry Knoors, Professor emeritus, Radboud University,Evelien Dirks, Program director DHH, Dutch Foundation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Child

Harry Knoors is professor emeritus in deaf education at the Behavioral Science Institute of the Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. For over 25 years he also was on the board of directors of Royal Kentalis, Sint-Michielsgestel. His research focusses on the effects of early childhood deafness and early language impairments on the development of language, literacy and cognition. Amongst others, Knoors was involved in studies into the effects of pediatric cochlear implantation and of early sign language use. In his research, he also addresses issues closely related to the quality of special, i.e. deaf, education.


Evelien Dirks is professor in the Early Development and Intervention of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children at Tranzo, Tilburg University, the Netherlands. She is also program director DHH at the Dutch Foundation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Child in Amsterdam (NSDSK). Her research focusses on the language, social-emotional and cognitive development of deaf and hard of hearing children and the effects of early intervention. The parent-child interaction in relation to child development is often a key element in her research.