Two Texas-Based SLPs Teach 12-Year-Old Recipient of Cochlear Implants to Talk

Jeffrey Mota Jeffrey Mota—who was adopted from China three years ago and has severe hearing loss—is 12 years old and learning to communicate verbally for the first time. Last year, the boy received cochlear implants and began processing sounds once they were activated early this year. He works with two speech-language pathologists as he learns how to talk. A local ABS affiliate in Austin, Texas, interviewed the SLPs and Jeffrey’s father. Expanded Cochlear Implant Candidacy Amidst renewed debate about teaching signed versus spoken language to children who are deaf, professionals call for emphasizing all forms of early language access. What cochlear implants do for children’s language performance is revolutionary. But the device can’t do all the work. It takes concentrated, sustained post-implant intervention to truly realize the miracle. Making the Cochlear Connection in Class At school, Jeffrey works with Katie Barnett, an SLP with the Round Rock (Texas) Independent School District. Barnett began working with Jeffrey not long after he moved to the U.S. After school, SLP Jamie Putnam continues treatment to help him progress. In addition to learning to speak, he’s also learning English. Shelley D. Hutchins is content editor/producer for the ASHA Leader. shutchins@asha.org.  
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Audiology Speech-Language Pathology bilingual service delivery hearing loss private practice Schools Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs