[Rehabilitation of a child with a cochlear implant: the «initial point» of new auditory abilities].

The objective of the present study was to consider the key issue of the method of successful pedagogical rehabilitation of the children after cochlear implantation (CI) developed at the Institute of Special Education, i.e. what should be considered the «initial point» of new auditory abilities for a child carrying a cochlear implant. It was shown that the definition of the «initial point» depends on the understanding of early auditory ontogenesis, success of implantation surgery, accurate connection of the speech-processor and its correct initial adjustment. However, the analysis of the practical experience demonstrated that the majority of the children are unable to benefit from the new opportunities on their own. They need a special support by the teacher of the deaf and the family members for «launching» the new auditory abilities. Both the content and the effectiveness of this work depend on the understanding of early auditory ontogenesis and the skills of the teacher of the deaf. A new approach to the rehabilitation of the children with cochlear implants is proposed based on the interpretation of early auditory ontogenesis in the context of the formation and complication of the emotional communication of a child with the adult relatives. In the frame of the proposed approach to the rehabilitation of the children with cochlear implants, the «initial point» of new auditory abilities is the initiation of an emotional dialogue with the adult relatives on a new sensory basis. This «initial point» is common for different groups of children with an exclusion of deaf children with cochlear implants retaining the ability for the emotional communication with the relatives. In such children, the «initial point» is the point of ontogenesis at which the communication with the environment on the comprehensive sensory foundation was interrupted.