Shortly after your child is diagnosed, you and your family will have to decide what assistive auditory devices, if any, your child will use.
The most common ones are cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aids (HA).
Hover on the photos below for more explanation about each.
Below, Tinsley's mother shares what audiological devices Tinsley uses.
Cochlear Implant
Cochlear implantation involves surgery and implantation of a receiver to transmit sound directly to the auditory nerve. In order to use CIs, the d/Deaf person wears an external processor that sits on the outside of the ear.
Hearing Aid
Hearing aids are removable devices that amplify sound enough for a person's residual hearing to pick it up.
Many insurance plans cover cochlear implant surgery and equipment, but far fewer cover hearing aids.
About half of U.S. states have laws requiring some insurance plans to pay for children's hearing aids. Coverage for both devices still varies by plan and by state, so it is worth checking your policy and your state's rules early.
Sometimes, parents may not want to implant their child, but are forced to do so
because they do not have the means to pay for hearing aids out of pocket,
which cost thousands of dollars.
Molly isn't a candidate for cochlear implantation and wears hearing aids.
Below, her mother talks about her frustrations with insurance company coverage.