When someone is speaking, the sound is picked up by a microphone located in the headpiece. It is zapped to the signal processor in the waist pouch, then bounced back to the headpiece, which transmits it through the scalp to a stimulator device implanted in the outer skull above the ear. The stimulator sends impulses through a series of electrodes to the auditory nerve, which passes them onto the brain. There are many benefits for using cochlear implants for children. Some children can identify everyday sounds, such as car horns, doorbells and birds singing .
Many children can distinguish among different speech patterns.
Many children can identify words from a set of alternatives without lip reading. Some children exhibit improved lip reading. A few children can recognize speech without lip reading. After training and experience with the device, many children demonstrate improvements in speech. Criteria for Patient Selection Because cochlear implants neither eliminate the disease state that resulted in deafness nor restores normal function to the hearing organ, clinical decisions must be carefully evaluated.