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New ears


Last Tuesday, Rowan got a new set of ears. For any of you new comers, Rowan is deaf and he has bilateral cochlear implants. Ever since he was implanted, the processors that we wore were strapped around his waste in a harness and then he had cords come up his back with "coils" that connect magnetically to his head. His new devices are called "Behind the Ear" processors, or BTEs.  Instead of wearing the processor around his waist, he wears a much more compact version behind his ear. He still has a cord that magnetically connects the "coil" to his head, but it lays flatter against his head. Why make the change? There are several reasons. The microphone on the body worn processor was at the back of his head whereas, the microphone on the BTE is over his ear, which gives him a more natural listening experience (he can now put a phone to his ear or wear ear buds, though he can also connect his device directly to an Ipod as well).  Also, wearing the body worn processor was challenging, especially in the summer as he had to wear three layers (undershirt, processor harness with warm batteries, and then top shirt). The BTE's have their challenges too; we put wig tape on the devices and stick them to his ears to keep them on (anyone know of a good place to buy a massive amount of wig tape?). It took a day to get used to the devices (this was our second try as well); the sounds were very new and it took a little time for his brain to adjust, but now he seems like he really likes them.

As an update regarding his progress, he currently has a spoken vocabulary of about 100-150 words. He is really interested in colors and can do a lot of two word combinations ("blue bird", "red dog"). Considering that his ears aren't quite two years old, he is definitely ahead where he is supposed to be.

BTW, I read a wonderful post about cochlear implants and life with a disability on this blog. Check it out!

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