Parental Expectations As a Factor in Evaluating Children for the Multichannel Cochlear Implant

Recent developments in technology have resulted in a new assistive device for profoundly deaf children: the cochlear implant. However, many variables must be considered when evaluating children for the device, one of which is parental expectations. Because expectations are sometimes unreasonably high, cochlear implant teams need to be aware of the dynamics involved in expectations and of ways to help parents come to a realistic understanding of the benefits and limitations of implants.