UK TEACHERS OF THE DEAF - WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANTS

A forced-choice questionnaire was sent by the British Association of T eachers of the Deaf to its members, asking about experience of, and at titudes to, cochlear implantation. Two hundred and seventy-three repli es were received, estimated to represent the teachers managing 83% of children implanted in the UK at that time. Most respondents considered that working with children with cochlear implants was a positive prof essional experience and were in favour of cochlear implantation for ap propriate children. About half the respondents felt that children with cochlear implants needed more support than children with hearing aids , bur about half also considered that the need decreased over time. Th e optimal placement was considered to be mainstream, but a large numbe r of teachers maintained that the optimal educational setting varied w ith the child, as did flexibility in communication mode. Liaison with implant centres was considered to be effective by most respondents. As ked about influences on progress, teachers prioritised parental manage ment, appropriateness of device programming, efficiency of device func tioning and educational management. Problems experienced by teachers i n working with children with cochlear implants included pressure on ti me and diversify of advice; teachers also commented on families' pract ical problems in attending the cochlear implant clinic. As the numbers of children with cochlear implants increase, it is essential that Tea chers of the Deaf take on the role of their long-term management on a daily basis. In addition, it is necessary to continue to develop a coo rdinated approach between implant centres and Teachers of the Deaf on a UK-wide basis.