Contemporary Considerations for Cochlear Implantation for Children With Multiple Disabilities
Abstract Due to advances in cochlear implant technology and the remarkable outcomes often achieved by persons with severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implant candidacy criteria has expanded since the first children were implanted almost twenty years ago. Evidence of this can be seen in the increased willingness to provide cochlear implants for children with multiple disabilities. Over the last decade, several reports have appeared in the peer-reviewed literature describing cochlear implant outcomes of children with multiple disabilities. This paper will summarize those reports, discuss realistic expectations of implantation for children with multiple disabilities, and describe contemporary management protocols for the otologic, audiologic, and rehabilitative management of children with multiple disabilities.