People ask me a lot about Jacksons implants and that’s perfectly fine. It’s a complicated thing to understand, I am still learning about it every day. I’ve listed some frequently asked questions and the answers to them below. Hope it helps.
Oh, the video took at least 50 takes to get it right and a lots of cookies, snacks and apples were involved. So cut us some slack;-)
How does it work?
So Jackson can hear now. Problem solved right?
A Cochlear implant does not make deaf people hearing. Jackson can experience sound with his CI’s, if he’s not wearing them, he is still deaf.
Why still use sign language ?
See above, Jackson is still deaf. Sign language is his first and most important language. It’s a language that will always be available to him and it offers us the opportunity to communicate with our son at all times.
Does Jackson hear the same as we do?
No. The sound of a Cochlear implant differs from ‘normal hearing’. People who could hear before they needed implants describe the sound as “mechanical”, “technical” and “synthetic”.
Does he wear the CI’s 24/7?
No. He will wear them during the day, but not when he’s sleeping or bathing. We have been lucky, so far Jackson has never shown any negative reflex concerning his CI’s. He is comfortable wearing them and will ask us to put them back on when they have fallen off.
What’s the flickering red light for?
To show us that the CI’s are working normally. If the battery is running low, the flickering light will change and we know that we have to change the batteries. This happens every 4 to 5 days.
Can he do sports (and swim) with his CI’s?
The implant itself is in no way restrictive. For swimming the external part is usually removed beforehand, although waterproof versions and aids are available. It’s important to protect the implanted area from a blow to the head, so a helmet should be worn in situations that normally would also require a helmet.
