A child's performance will usually continue to improve over an extended period of time with training. Speech-reading becomes less stressful and more accurate. Most people who had normal hearing at one time are able to understand some speech without speech-reading. The degree to which they are able to do this depends, in part, on the success factors mentioned earlier. Some people are able to carry on conversations, while others may recognize only a limited number of words.
Most people experience an improved ability to monitor the quality and volume of their own voice.
They often feel more connected to the world around them because of the sounds they now hear. The choice of which device to use is less important than the other success factors listed above. Patients with favorable success factors are likely to do well with any implant and it is not possible to predict outcome. We encourage open dialogue with our team members to answer questions and discuss possibilities. Copyright 2001 University of Washington.