Amplification Each child responds differently to amplification. A child's use of hearing aids may or may not provide enough benefit to allow full or even partial access to spoken English. To use an analogy, hearing aid use can be compared to a radio. Hearing aids can increase the volume of speech the child is hearing. Hearing aids can provide more auditory information by increasing the volume, but they do not necessarily increase comprehension of spoken English.
Cochlear implants provide auditory information by directly stimulating the cochlea.
It is critical to carefully consider all factors when contemplating irreversible attempts to amplify sound, such as implants. In the final analysis, it is important to observe a child's behavior to determine how much benefit he or she is receiving from any form of amplification. It may be safe to assume that consistent use of amplification in meaningful settings for a child who demonstrates benefit from amplification is likely to have impact on his or her spoken English development. Language Competency One critical factor in speech development is language competency. For a deaf or hard of hearing child who has a solid base in ASL, spoken English development becomes an easier task.