Real-life performance considerations of four pediatric multi-channel cochlear implant recipients.

Most pediatric cochlear implant programs support a team approach for post-implant services. However, individuals directly involved in the care of these children often have differing opinions on the child's performance. We describe our experience with four children, aged 3 to 10 at the time of implantation, who have used the Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant device for at least nine months. A questionnaire, focusing on the individual's observations of the child's speech and hearing performance in their particular setting (i.e., clinic, home, school), was completed by the child's parent(s), therapist and classroom teacher. Overall, performance in structured settings (i.e., testing and therapy sessions) was not in agreement with performance in unstructured settings (i.e., classroom and home environments). The results suggest that different individuals interacting with the same child in different environments often have differing perceptions of the child's performance. Based on the information obtained on the four cases, we discuss factors to consider in assessing the real-life performance of pediatric cochlear implant recipients.