You have finally reached the moment you’ve been waiting for—you had your cochlear implant processor switched on and you are starting to hear with the new device!  Now the goal is to hear better. A lot of concepts may be introduced at this time: adapting to the new sound, auditory learning, and especially patience. 

What can you do to advance your progress during this early timeframe? You may be puzzled about what you should be doing.  Know that your hearing journey depends on many factors; your high motivation is one of them. The focus during the first weeks should be on adaptation and less on auditory practice.

Why is that? There are a number of reasons but the most important one is that in the first few weeks, recipients may have limited access to sound. Voices and other sounds may seem too soft, and very different from the sounds you once heard. Future mapping sessions will provide you with louder, clearer sounds.

What helps prepare you for the stage when you experiencing speech comprehension?

• Use your CI all day long
• Maintain the sound processor as suggested by your CI company (e.g., use the Dry and Store)
• Familiarize yourself with the sound processor so that you can easily change programs, settings, loudness, and connecting to other technology via Bluetooth and telecoil. Learn how the different programs are helpful in various settings. volumes).
• Experience different auditory environments but initially avoid very noisy situations. If you attend a noisy event, use your sound processor's lowest volume option.
• Use your CI exclusively (without a hearing aid) for at least one hour daily. Initially, do so in safe conditions (the least challenging communication and acoustic situations). You can start by taking off your hearing aid and using your CI alone while you're at your home alone or with a few family members. Avoid going without your hearing in demanding communication settings like the workplace, theater or social event.

Adapting is a Key Part of the Process

It may seem like you are doing nothing with your new CI, but adaptation to hearing through the CI is not trivial. Many CI users, especially during the initial stage of CI use, experience hearing as a flood of auditory stimuli. This is the case even though exposure to sounds may still be limited. The enhancements in sound experience typically occur later.

It is essential (and yes, easier said than done), that you experience and explore different sounds without self-judgment. Ask your friends and family members not to test you. Remember that what you hear during the first weeks is not what you will hear later.

What happens after your second or third mapping?

You are still at the initital stage of your hearing journey. You may consult your audiologist on his or her recommendation on when they recommend starting to consciously practice speech comprehension. 

Some possible strategies to try:

• Listen intentionally to the sounds around you and explore different acoustic environments. You might sit under a tree and listen to birds, or on a bench in a playground and listen to children's voices (without trying to understand them yet). Listen to the voices of your family members. Are you able to differentiate between them? Listen to the sounds in the house, such as running water, cooking, and appliance noises.
• What sounds do you like? Are there sounds that bother you? Note that at this early stage, weak or uncomfortable sounds may become comfortable and feel more balanced. Adapting to the quality and volume of the sounds can happen spontaneously. Patience pays off.
• If some sounds are still bothering you, remember to share that with your audiologist at your next appointment.
• If you wish to listen to music, do so carefully knowing that music will sound better in the future. Optimism, patience (again), and practice (in the future) will make it work.

Speech understanding

• Note that you are still in the first few weeks after your initial switch-on. Can you identify specific speech sounds, such as S, Sh and Z sounds? Can you differentiate between singular and plural words (e.g., cat/cats, pack/packs, bag/bags, road/road).
• Can you identify color names from a spoken series of colors? Car brands? Names of your family members or work colleagues? Can you understand simple sentences? 

In previous posts, you will find tips for your auditory trainer.  

You may already be able to log into different computer self-training apps and try to follow audiobooks. For many people, it may be too early to understand recorded speech. When using recorded speech, slow it down if possible. More tips for advanced self-training ideas may be found here.  And here.

Noise Sensitivity

In the early stages after turn-on, even people who are able to understand some speech without speechreading (or lip-reading) may be sensitive to noise and have difficulty understanding speech in noisy situations. Maintain a quiet acoustic environment when practicing, and use streaming technologies or assistive listening devices.

In Summary

Take the time that you need, become an attentive listener, embrace every achievement, and work in a hierarchical way. If possible, reach out to a Speech-Language Pathologist to help you determine an auditory learning program. Above all, maintain a positive attitude.

Good luck!