Cochlear Implant Candidacy in Children with Autism

ABSTRACTS

Cochlear implant candidacy and follow-up for children with autism have important differences to consider when compared with children without cognitive disabilities. This article describes how general cochlear implant candidacy is modified when considering a child who may be or is diagnosed with autism. Specifically, age of implantation, language modality and therapy, and parental expectations are addressed in the context of cochlear implant candidacy. The article also describes postimplant management issues in children with autism, including the need for cochlear implant team collaboration with outside schools and therapies, and use of objective measures for cochlear implant programming and processor settings. The article describes three case examples: two of children with autism who received implants, and one for whom implantation was not recommended.

KEYWORDS

Cochlear implant - candidacy - autism

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