LEARNING TO HEAR

With cochlear implants

- Melissa L. Weber

When Elexis Blake was an 8-month-old baby, her grandmother noticed something unusual. Elexis didn’t seem to notice sounds, like a dog barking.

“She shook a jar full of pennies behind my head,” says Elexis, now 25. “I didn’t turn. But I was very interested in the jar when she showed it to me.”

Her family took Elexis to an audiologist (a medical specialist who can test for hearing problems). The audiologist told her parents that she was profoundly deaf in both ears.

When Are Hearing Problems Diagnosed?

Most babies get a hearing check soon after they are born. If the test detects hearing problems, parents are told to visit an audiologist for more tests.

When Elexis had her first hearing test, the doctor may have thought that her results would improve in time. That was not the case.

“My mom was sad that I couldn’t hear,” says Elexis. “She went to the library, got American Sign Language (ASL) books, and started signing with me at 8 months old.”

Her mom even took classes at a nearby university and became a sign language interpreter.

Language and the Brain

Babies who can hear start learning spoken language before they’re even born! The part of the brain that makes sense of sounds and language is called the auditory cortex. It’s connected to the auditory nerve. Kids and teens learn languages more easily and rapidly than adults. Researchers believe that the language area of the brain fills with visual information if children don’t learn spoken words.

Words are important. Words help people understand the world around them and connect with others. While Elexis was learning the words of sign language, her family wanted to know about other ways to help her.

One option was a cochlear implant.