Parents

Parental decision-making on whether and when to pursue a cochlear implant for their child can be overwhelming. Often parents have no experience with hearing loss as over 90 percent of babies are born to two typically hearing parents. Making an informed choice includes a review and discussion of comprehensive information that may be entirely unfamiliar to them, and this is likely to be going on during a highly emotional time. Resources that may help with the decision-making might include: a CI surgeon (also called an ear, nose, and throat doctor); audiologists; information from the Internet and printed literature; and shared personal information from parents of children who have already received a cochlear implant. Adult recipients may also be helpful in explaining the experience of hearing with cochlear implants. We hope you find the information here useful.

Information for Parents

• What is a Cochlear Implant

• Steps to a Cochlear Implant

• Cochlear Implant Surgery

• Insurance
  • Watch a video on insurance

• Unilateral Hearing Loss

• When to get a Cochlear Implant (Webinar)
  

• Click here to see the Consumer/Parent Workshop: How Recent Scientific Discoveries are Advancing Cochlear Implant Benefits.
  

Find a Clinic

• Searchable online tool to find a clinic near you

Position Paper: Pediatric Habilitation Following Cochlear Implantation

• https://www.acialliance.org/page/ACITherapyStatement

Advocacy/Awareness

• Stories from Pediatric and Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients
• Parent Advocacy
• Parent Choice
• The Listening Project
• What Makes You Different is What Makes You Special, by Angela Irwin (CI recipient)
• Determining Candidacy 
• Frequently Asked Questions about Infants and Children with Cochlear Implants
• Webinars
• Stories with Clever Hedgehog
  

Videos

• Facilitating Listening and Spoken Language in Children with Cochlear Implants

• Cochlear Implant Surgery

Young Adults

• Never Let Your Disability Define You (story by college senior with a CI)
• A Young Adults Perspective (Blog)
• College Faculty Perception Towards Accessibility in the College Classroom (video by a college senior with a CI)
• Young Adult Stories

Join Us

• Consumer Membership

  Annual Fee: $10

  Consumer membership is designed for the public at large and people of all ages with hearing loss and their families. Become a member and receive these benefits:

  • Alliance Digital Newsletter - Up to four issues of this e-newsletter with personal stories and updates on the Alliance's mission including information on research, advocacy and awareness activities and a status report on performance against goals.
  • Advocacy Alerts - Updates on the Alliance's efforts to work with health care plan executives and government officials and what you can do to make a difference.
  • Board of Directors Election* - Opportunity to vote for the American Cochlear Implant Alliance Board of Directors and Chairman Slate put forth by the Alliance Nominating Committee (subject to by-laws regulations).

Contact Us

We're happy to help. If you have a question or would like further information, please email or write and you'll receive a reply from the American Cochlear Implant Alliance as soon as possible. Click here.

Email: INFO@ACIALLIANCE.ORG

Mail: ACI Alliance
P.O. Box 103
McLEAN, VA 22101-0103
703.534.6146