The Cochlear Implant School Toolkit

2 - What is a Cochlear Implant?

Common myths about cochlear implants dispelled

Myth:  Cochlear implants restore the sense of hearing so the person is no longer deaf.
Fact:  A cochlear implant only works when the equipment is functional and on the person. A person with a cochlear implant is still deaf.

Myth:  A person with a cochlear implant hears just like someone with typical hearing.
Fact:  Because the cochlear implant creates a simulation of sound, a child with a cochlear implant hears differently than a hearing person. To hear a simulation of sound as heard by someone with a cochlear implant, enter the search term "Cochlear Implant Simulation" into Google to find simulations by the University of Texas, University of California Irvine, the House Research Institute, and others.