Life is Bliss - Lily's Cochlear Implant Journey

Advanced Bionics Q90s - Review by a 4th grader

We have loved Lily's AB Neptunes, but decided it was time to move to AB's Q90 Naida ear-level processors.  

Lily's experience and ease of change has been positive.  Here are the Top 8 things we like about the AB Naida Q90s.  

• Lily says she could hear at a level 8 (out of 10) with her Neptunes, but can hear at a level 9 with her Q90s.  
• The Neptune programs rolled directly over to the Q90s so the sound is very similar (according to Lily).
• The ear-level processor wearing hasn't been a problem with the new weight on her ears or keeping them on her head except when she's running or reading upside down.  However I can't imagine how you would keep them on a baby or small child.  Neptunes are still dreamy for this young population and have fewer parts to break.    
• Lily doesn't turn her head so dramatically when trying to hear in difficult listening situations because the T-mics are now in the center of her ears, instead of the microphone being on the side/back of her head. 
• Lily can now use headphones like all the other kids, in addition to steaming music or sound via bluetooth (something other kids can't do!)  
• No more tank tops to hold the Neptune in place and long cords running from the headpieces to the processors. Although she was sad to see the tank tops go.  
• There is much easier access to the Q90s to change the programs or adjust the volume, although Lily prefers set it and forget it.  Her programs include a regular program with auto zoom and wind block, duo phone and super stereo zoom.  
• Lily likes the automatic auto zoom feature that "turns on" in noisy situations. She can hear the sound cut out for half a second before it turns on, however the FM overrides this feature when it's on.  
• Three-year warranties for all the components.  

Things we'd like to improve:

• Lily longs for complete static and waterproof processors. However the waterproof setup of the Neptune totally changed our lives and Lily will still wear them for water activities. The Q90s have a water proof box we could have selected, but we chose to stick with our beloved Neptunes for water.
• The only battery that has an FM connection is the 170. For Lily, the FM is worn during every school day.  The length and weight of the battery and FM receiver becomes quite long, especially on a child.  The 170 batteries last Lily about 14 hours, which is close to a full day but sometimes we have to change them.
• None of the new "mini" batteries are included in the initial purchase of the product.  Especially for children, this seems like an ideal product that would be used on the weekends.

Phonak Pen Review - Experiences of a 4th grader

Lily has been testing out the Phonak Pen for a month now.  We're impressed! 

The primary objective in purchasing the pen was to try the omni-directional mic in the lunchroom for a better listening experience.  Lily has always struggled in this noisy environment and nothing except sitting in a different room helps.  The omni-directional mic, which is incorporated in the pen, seems to be a great improvement over the traditional directional mic of a Phonak Inspiro in this situation, and allows Lily to hear multiple kids at the same time in different directions.

The challenge in the lunchroom comes when the students get too loud and instead of being able to figure out what voice to amplify, the pen amplifies everything including dishes clanking and voices from other tables that are not involved in the primary conversation. At this point, the pen needs to become a traditional directional mic to be useful.  However, the pen's small and light profile makes it less intrusive to hang around someone's neck and truly feels and looks like a pen.  

Lily is also using the pen on the playground.  The pen's capacity to "beam" when pointed at someone, gives Lily increased hearing advantages.  On the playground, she either wears the pen on her neck, keeps it in her hand to beam or hangs it on another kid if they are running around. The disadvantage here is that the range for the pen is much shorter than the Phonak Inspiro, but Lily is use to staying fairly close to her peers to hear the conversation.   

We have not been able to try the new Phonak Inspiro Touchscreen which incorporates the microphone into the transmitter (eliminating the long cord and small microphone that gets tangled on everything) and also has an omni-directional microphone when set flat. This is a great improvement for the Inspiro. Unfortunately, the pen doesn't network with the Phonak Inspiro, which is a major disappointment for these different use cases, but it does network with other pens.  The pen also doesn't network with the classroom media hub. Lily must connect with each device as she changes between them and while this isn't hard, it does require a little time and knowhow.    

As for durability, the Inspiro feels slightly heavier, like it could withstand more abuse, but so far we haven't had any problems with the durability of the pen.  The pen does come with a lanyard which cleverly attaches to the pen's clip.  

Another time that Lily uses the pen is in her reading group.  Again Lily uses the omni-directional feature to hear the kids around a table and if needed, she or the teacher will slide the pen on the table closer to the quieter students.  Lily prefers this set up to having additional large student microphones around a table.  

Phonak has also come out with a flat low-profile table microphone, which looks ideal in this "reading group" situation but it has a fairly high price point, so we haven't had the opportunity to try it.  

Overall the Phonak Pen has been a great addition to our hearing technology tools. 

AB research in the news

Two new research studies about potential future Advanced Bionics technology.

Use of the Phantom Electrode strategy to improve bass frequency perception for music listening in cochlear implant users.

Integrated Speech Processor Headpiece with patent approval

 

 

 

Fourth grade and preschool bound!

Today is the start of fourth grade for Lily and another year of preschool for Bodie. Who would have ever imagined? Lily continues to achieve at very high levels and remains passionate about reading (and life!). She just finished the new Harry Potter script, after a summer of pouring through books.

Lily has her darling Kindergarten teacher again for the fourth grade. We are lucky she is such a strong teacher and will challenge Lily and help her grow.  

Unfortunately, our favorite principal retired this summer. This was a huge blow to the amazing school and culture she developed.  We are ever indebted to her leadership, advocacy and inclusion focus in a growing school. Hopefully we will cross paths again.  However, our new principal will be great too and has already shown great interest in "hearing issues" and providing strong support and inclusion.  

We are also lucky to be with other families and kids at the school who wear CIs.  We are able to support each other in our kids' hearing journeys.  I'm not sure where we'd be without them!   

Lily continues to wear her Neptunes, and we hope new AB BTEs will come out next year. Lily's been seeing some new advantages in BTEs like using headphones and some directional microphones. She continues to utilize a Phonak Inspiro in the classroom, in addition to a soundfield and Dyna-mics. And the best part is that all the technology worked on the first day of school!  Lily's hearing resource teacher gave a great training to the school's staff last week to prepare them for the technology and best teaching practices.

For new technology, we've got our eye on the new Phonak Inspiro touchscreen because of the Omni Directional Mic capabilities that can be utilized with small group discussions (and no mic wires) or a Phonak Pen (although not able to connect to other devices) or table Mics. Small group situations, especially in noise are very challenging for Lily. When there is one other student, they can wear the FM, but with many students, it's a real challenge.  

So much to think about and stay on top of this year but we're ready!  

 

Cochlear Implants before 12 months? Here's a new study showing benefits.

I have long believed that implanting kids before 12 months of age was an important and necessary approach for optimizing long-term speech outcomes.  Lily was implanted 7.8 years ago at the age of 10 months.  We would have done it earlier if the surgeon would have agreed.  

Eight years later, the age of 12 month is still used as a guideline for implantation.  

Here's a new study detailing the benefits of implanting kids before 12 months of age.  

 

 

Zebrafish may reverse deafness in humans

Always interesting to follow the latest research on the study of animal cell growth and how certain animals have regenerative abilities in regards to their hearing and hair cell regeneration.

According to this article, Zebrafish may be the key to understanding and replicating how to regenerate hair cells.  It's just may be what Lily will use some day, to regrow those hair cells in her cochleas.  

Speech Perception Testing - The Challenge of Noise

We recently went for Lily's six-month CI tune up with her audiologist.  The two hour appointment goes quickly, however this time we were able to do some speech perception testing and examine what happens to Lily's listening abilities when she uses the FM system.

HINT Sentences in quiet:  97%

HINT Sentences in noise (+5 dB signal-to-noise ratio): 71%

HINT sentence materials are at about a 1^st or 2^nd grade reading level, so one might compare her performance on this test to listening to material that is routine or familiar.  A signal-to-noise ratio of +5 dB is not especially uncommon in a typical classroom and noise levels can often be even higher than this.

AZ Bio Sentences in quiet:  84%

AZ Bio Sentences in noise (+5 dB signal-to-noise ratio):  42%

AZ Bio Sentences in noise (+5 dB signal-to-noise ratio) with FM in use:  91%

AZ Bio sentence materials are at about a 6^th grade reading level according to some lectures.  It would be appropriate to use Lily’s performance on this as analogous to listening to material that is unfamiliar or that is new information/vocabulary.

We continue to search for better technology to help Lily hear in noise, especially when it is in a multi-talker environment like the lunchroom or during small group discussion.  

 

Hearing Research - Lily's contribution

Lily and her "hearing enabled" colleagues are on the forefront of a generation of kids who are able to maximize technology to hear.  

Because of this, we believe it's important to participate in hearing research whenever possible.  We do it both to benefit Lily's future and the families that will walk in our path.  Over Lily's lifetime we've done a half-dozen studies on language learning and listening.

This summer, Lily will add two more to her research resume.  One study earlier this summer involved a research van coming to our home.  Lily completed numerous listening and language tasks, in the van, to help the University of Iowa understand how kids with hearing loss are learning language, compared to their typically hearing peers.  

The next study will be at Boystown in a few weeks which involves telelearning or telemedicine.   Boystown is studying if providing audiology services for children on-line is as effective as in person mapping.   Here's an Interesting article describing Boystown's future hearing research focus. 

 

 

#HearIam Phonak contest

We entered Phonak's recent #HearIam contest with cute photos of Lily and her Phonak Inspiro FM system.  The prize is a new Phonak Roger Pen, which is a microphone cleverly disguised as a writing pen.  Very cool!  

 

Huskers' Spring Game

Lily and Bodie experienced their first Husker Red/White spring game.  Feels a little like Where's Waldo.  Can you find them on the field?  

While the sound system in the stadium was really loud, it often times wasn't that clear.  Announcements, calls and music should have been captioned for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.  

Some sports stadiums are moving to IPads where people can follow the captioned action, but I hope that progressive stadiums will figure out Jumbrotron captioning before they are legally required to.  

Science Fair: Social Contagion

LIly's second elementary science fair experience was a success.  She studied Social Contagion, the idea that if we observe people who are tired, sad or bored, we become tired and start yawning.   The same is true when we study people who are happy and laughing.  We feel happy and start smiling with those we observe.  

Of course it didn't take much encouragement for Lily to develop a video of herself acting out both roles.  

Next year we hope to complete a cochlear implant or acoustics study, but this year we didn't find the right approach for a first grader.  Backwards engineering or reprogramming her CI seemed a little daunting.  Last year's project measured the noise in her school (there's a lot of it!!).  

Let us know if you have any great ideas for a science fair project we could attempt. 

Bilateral vs Unilateral CIs in Children

Interesting study from Ear and Hearing of Spoken Language Outcomes in children with unilateral versus bilateral cochlear implants.  

Children with bilateral CIs achieved significantly better vocabulary outcomes, and 8-year-old children with bilateral CIs had significantly better language outcomes than did children with unilateral CIs....The outcomes were also significantly predicted by a number of factors related to parenting, child characteristics, and family background.

When Lily was implanted six years ago, the big debate was one or two implants.  Our sense was that she had two ears, so she should have two implants right away.  There was very little research about the benefits of two implants at the time. Many families were debating about "saving one ear for future technology."  I don't hear that phrase today.  Two implants seem like a standard practice. 

Vision Loss Boosts Auditory Perception

A facinating new study found that when "they kept adult mice in complete darkness for one week, the animals’ ability to hear significantly improved. What’s more, when they examined the animals’ brains, the researchers detected changes in the connections among neurons in the part of the brain where sound is processed, the auditory cortex." 

"At least in mice, it appears that the brain responds to sensory loss by swiftly reallocating connections among the remaining senses, perhaps providing the animals a better chance at survival.  This could mean that someday people with hearing loss, or other sensory disorders, may be able to  selectively rewire their brains."

Talking to premature babies

Facinating new study about talking to premature babies by a team at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Researchers found that "Premature babies benefit from being exposed to adult talk as early as possible."  Preterm infants exposed to higher word counts at 32 and 36 weeks gestation have higher cognitive and language scores at seven and 18 months corrected age.

It makes wonder why families still have to fight for early implantation.

 

Do chickens hold the key for hearing loss

Chickens have the amazing ability to restore their own hearing, and this trait inspired the Hearing Health Foundation to seek a cure for hearing loss in humans.  I knew there was a reason we got chickens!

Check out this interesting article on the research and the Hearing Health Foundation's chicken video.  Curing hearing loss in 10 years?  Maybe?

Early Cochlear Implant Switch-On

Interesting research summary on the Safety and Functional Results of Early Cochlear Implant Switch-On in Children.   That means instead of waiting for four weeks before they switched the implant on, they only waited for one week.   Even five years ago, Lily's implant center only waited 10 days.  

"This is the first study investigating the safety and the effects of an early cochlear implant switch-on in children. Results show that such a procedure is well tolerated by pediatric subjects and free from complications. Impedance measurements suggest that the earlier switched-on subjects benefit of lower and more stable impedances than subjects undergoing 1-month switch-on."

 

Cochlear Implant with no external hardware

Fascinating article on the future of cochlear implants.

Researchers have developed a new, low-power signal-processing chip, which sits in the middle ear, that could lead to a cochlear implant with no external hardware. The implant would be wirelessly recharged and would run for about eight hours on each charge.

Cecilia - A little girl who changed our lives

The night before Lily's implantation we watched a marketing video from Advanced Bionics about a little girl named Cecilia who received a cochlear implant around the age of two.   She was independent, confident, talking, seemed really smart and had great parents.  We loved her and always wondered what happened to Cecilia?  This was a little girl who helped us believe Lily's CIs were going to work. 

I had an update a few years ago from Mary Koch, her therapist in the video, and then tonight I stumbled upon this jewel.  An update video.  Today Cecilia is at the top of her class and an accomplished athlete.  She's getting ready for college.  Celilia said she couldn't imagine a life without sound.  What a great way to end the day. 

Check out the Alfred Mann Foundation (http://aemf.org/)  and scroll to the bottom of the first page for the video.

Importance of classroom acoustics - Presentation

Incredible flash presentation on the importance of classroom acoustics from Northern Illinois University. 

It gives the viewer a great overview of the terminology and strategies to improve classroom acoustics. 

Hear to Learn coverage in eschool news

More exciting coverage of our Hear to Learn project in eschool news.  It's a publication for daily tech news and innovation. 

Gene therapy to improve cochlear implants?

Facinating article on new research that has investigated the possibility of using gene therapy to prevent the death of nerve cells in the inner ear in people with certain types of progressive hearing loss.

Children's Creativity Museum San Francisco and Metal Slides

Lily's highlight in San Francisco was a trip to the Children's Creativity Museum.  It's a small children's museum, which has incorporated technology into nearly every exhibit.  

Lily loved the animation focus.   Not only did we complete a clay animation video, but Lily was also trained by world-famous sand animator Gerald Conn who was in San Francisco for an Innovators residency.  

Lily's segment is the purple and yellow jellyfish moving through the center of the screen.

Outside there is a park with the greatest metal slides known to man.  Lily was in heaven as she sailed down the slides with no fear of electrostatic discharge destroying her cochlear implant hardware or software.  Wish every playground could include options for kids with CIs.   Total joy!

 

 

Genetics of Auditory Disorders

Very interesting and descriptive article on the Genetics of Auditory Disorders

 

Barriers for children with hearing loss K-12 in the classroom

New report released by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University to describe the barriers that children with hearing loss aged birth to 21 face in the classroom and with school administration.

Long-term improvements in oral communication and peer relations in children with CIs: parental testimony

New study out of Penn State showing long-term positive outcomes of cochlear implantation. 

The research shows that on average, children improve in oral communication skills and have better peer relationships years after implantation, rather than immediately after. Even implant recipients who performed poorly several years after the procedure continue to improve....What helps deaf adolescents cope in middle school? The findings of their study suggest that deaf children should be supported in their early development to build healthy levels of self-esteem and confidence. The degree to which implanted children are accepted by mainstream schools – whether they are understood by their teachers and peers – can also help improve their peer relationships.

 

Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss

Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss is a great new resource filled with information about the learning and social issues of children with hearing loss and what you can do to better support the future success of these children. Resources are at no cost, designed to be easy to understand quickly, and practical to use.

Huffington Post Coverage of Hear To Learn Project

Lily's Mom is amazing (regular readers already knows this). As usual she continues to make an impact for Lily and others. Today she got some much deserved national coverage for her Hear To Learn project to bring amplification to elementary schools here in Nebraska. Check out the Huffington Post blog post and the video (Lily makes a cameo as well).

Technology Can Help Ensure Our Students Hear, Learn, and Achieve.

So proud of the work she does day in and day out.

 

Study: Hearing preservation

Interesting study on Hearing preservation for Cochlear Implant outcomes.

http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/effects-hearing-preservation-for-cochlear-12078

 

New device helps understand how brain processes info from a CI

A new imaging device was launched on campus today, helping researchers in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD) and HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) better understand how the human brain processes information from a cochlear implant.

For the first time, scientists can use a well-established brain imaging technique called MEG, or magnetoencephalography, to measure brain function in recipients of cochlear implants, including young children. The new device overcomes the electromagnetic restrictions of cochlear implants, enabling researchers to gain valuable insight into this established and effective solution for people with hearing loss.

More

 

Cochlear Implant history and pioneers

The 2013 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award honors three scientists who developed the modern cochlear implant, a device that restores hearing to individuals with profound deafness. Through their vision, persistence, and innovation, Graeme M. Clark (Emeritus, University of Melbourne), Ingeborg Hochmair (MED-EL, Innsbruck), and Blake S. Wilson (Duke University) created an apparatus that has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Their work has, for the first time, substantially restored a human sense with a medical intervention.

Check out their incredible video interview of cochlear implant pioneers Graeme M. Clark, Ingeborg Hochmair and Blake S. Wilson and an extensive description of the history of the development of the cochlear implant. 

It's hard to believe the FDA only gave its inaugural approval to a multichannel cochlear implant in 1985 for treating adults who could hear before they went deaf. 

Advanced Bionics releases new Naida CI, electrode and HiRes Optima

Advanced Bionics has just introduced the Naída CI Q70 (Naída CI) processor, HiFocus™ Mid-Scala electrode, and HiRes™ Optima Sound Processing. 

With Naída CI, AB brings performance and wireless connectivity and now cochlear implant recipients have access to the combined technologies of AB & Phonak.

Benefits of new Naida CI:

• 55% improvement in speech understanding in noise when AB ClearVoice™* and Phonak UltraZoom features are used together
• 100% wireless connectivity—streaming from consumer electronics by leading brands, including Apple, Samsung, and Nokia
• All-new Binaural VoiceStream Technology™ designed for improved hearing in noise
• Bimodal streaming—media can be streamed to a compatible Phonak hearing aid and a Naída CI sound processor at the same time!
• 40% smaller than the previous behind-the-ear sound processor—incredibly lightweight for barely noticeable on and off-ear comfort
• First-ever bilateral feature for easy use and peace of mind—each processor can be programmed for both ears so the best ear can still hear if a second processor is misplaced
• Compatibility with AB performance innovations, including ClearVoice, AutoSound™, HiRes Fidelity 120™*, and HiRes Optima Sound Processing
• All-new, discreet T-Mic™ 2 microphone

In addition to the Naida CI Q70 Advanced Bionics has also recently received approval for the HiFocus Mid-Scala Electrode (designed to protect the delicate structures of the cochlea) and for HiRes Optima Sound Processing (which offers optimized battery life)!

We are definitely going to get the HiRes Optima soon for Lily's Neptunes.  It's another trip to the audiologist, but well worth such an increase in battery life.  

Currently, Lily's batteries will die around 4pm.  She is starting extracurricular Spanish class this week that, you guessed it, ends around 4pm. So what should I do?  Go to school and change the batteries between school and class?  Ask the teacher to do it?  Or get this HiRes Optima ASAP. 

We'll also be investigating the Naida CI which looks exciting, although we love her Neptunes.  Lots of exciting new options to think about.  

Cochlear Implant Balance Research Study

We've participated in various cochlear implant research studies over the past five years because we feel it's important to give back and help advance the field.  

Last week, Lily was in a balance study at Boystown that was trying to determine if there was a connection between cochlear implantation and balance issues.  The researchers asked Lily to walk, hop, stand on a balance board, spin around in the dark, do eye tests while shaking her head and twist her head for some kind of nerve measurement.  

We learned that Lily had great balance and eye sight.  The physical therapist said that knowing she reads really well and can ride a bike without training wheels also indicates that there are no balance issues. All in a days work!

 

Auditory Brain Stem Implants for children in the US

If a Cochlear Implant doesn't work for a child with no auditory nerve, there may be a new option in the US. Check out this recent story about a 3 year old boy implanted with an Auditory Brain Stem Implant.  

This type of implant has been used in Italy for three or four years now, but this is a first Brain Stem implant for a child in the US.  So exciting.  Researchers are not sure if it will give the child full access to language but it certainly gives the child sound.  Great video demonstrates the child's reaction to sound.  

Bright Lights Farm Camp

Last week, Lily attended the fabulous Bright Lights Farm Camp.  Run by a retired kindergarten teacher with 37 years of experience, there was a plan, vocabulary, instruction time, songs and free time.  There were areas to pet chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, and cats.  Kids could brush or ride horses.  They could fish in a stock tank with nets or build things in the workshop.  At the end of each day the kids even wrote in their journals.  

If you enlarge the picture below, you can see how farm camp could be a very difficult listening situation. It was partially in a metal barn, with open doors and cement floors, and 30 kids.  However, the teacher wore the FM and even when her face was turned to the back wall, Lily, situated in the front row, could still hear her well.  

Challenges came when there were guest speakers and the lead teacher forgot to pass around the microphone.  For example, Lily missed all the information about the bull.  She just couldn't hear it. Overall, Lily ended the week with a ton of great farm experiences and language.  Not too bad for a city kid loaded up with technology.  Life is pretty normal/extraordinary.  

Hearing is all about the brain

Good article on How the brain processes auditory signals.  It's not that easy.  

Phonak's new Roger

Exciting new update by Phonak with Roger. 

"a new digital standard that bridges the understanding gap, in noise and over distance, by wirelessly transmitting the speaker's voice directly to the listener. Available for the education market beginning Summer 2013, Roger is designed to surpass today's Dynamic FM and equivalent digital systems."

Check out The Hearing Review for more information

More at Phonak

Optimizing cochlear implant programming

Here's some research I'm watching for improved CI programming.

At Vanderbilt University they are performing Image-based frequency reallocation for optimizing cochlear implant programming.

The major goal of this project is to assess the clinical utility of an image-guidance system for Cochlear Implant (CI) programming assistance that we are currently developing. For each CI recipient who participates in this research study, state-of-the-art image processing methods are employed to detect, using pre- and post-implantation CT, the position of the CI relative to the neural stimulation region and to analyze electrode stimulation patterns. Using the important information these spatial analysis techniques provide, we reprogram the CI recipient’s processor. Programming parameters include which electrodes are active, determining the relative power of each electrode, and determining an electrode frequency allocation table. Improved hearing performance for research participants will demonstrate that image-guidance can lead to more effective CI programming and better hearing restoration.

 

Hear to Learn classroom amplification project

Thrilled to update you on our Hear to Learn classroom amplification project. Here's a short video describing our dream. 

 

Cochlear Implant Insertion Video

Fascinating video of a Cochlear Implant electrode array being inserted into a cochlea. 

 

Local lecture by Dr Charles Limb - Building the Musical Muscle

Great local lecture called "Building the Musical Muscle" by Dr Charles Limb who is a CI surgeon from John Hopkins School of Medicine and a music professor in the Peabody Conservatory of Music.  His goal is to use music to help recreate perfect hearing. 

Go to http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/nwuadmin.portal# and search "Limb." Then press "Watch."

New mapping strategy

Vanderbilt has developed a new mapping strategy which is worth watching. Adult Cochlear implant users report dramatically better hearing with new process.

Interview with Advanced Bionics Senior Execs

Facinating interview with Senior Executives at Advanced Bionics by our friend Howard.

It will give you a lot of hope for the future of hearing with cochlear implants.  

Dana Suskind, CI Surgeon and language advocate

Loving this recent article in the Chicago Tribune about Dana Suskind, a Chicago area CI Surgeon and language advocate.  Her research program, outlined below, particularly resonated with me.  

Teaching parents about the importance of language is a key component that must drive early intervention engagement.  Tools like LENA help bring awareness to how much and how you are talking and it gives parents a 30,000 word benchmark for real direction.  And this could be applied to any family, not only to those with a child with hearing loss.  

Suskind worked with her University of Chicago colleagues to launch 30 Million Words, a program that sends research assistants to the homes of at-risk children for 13 weeks and educates their parents about the importance of engaging their children in an ongoing dialogue — and, equally important, offers them the tools to do so.

Researchers work with the parents to develop weekly word goals, with an ongoing emphasis on "the three Ts: Tune in, talk more, take turns," Suskind says.

"Babies aren't born smart," she says. "They're made smart. And how are they made smart? Your words."

"All parents should be allowed to know the power they have. If we can change how parents view their language and the power they have to impact their kids' trajectories, it will be amazing."

 

AB's new BTE and eletrode

New information is coming out on Advanced Bionics' new Behind the Ear (BTE) processor.  Check AB's website for all the latest details. 

Also reports of a new HiFocus Mid-Scala Electrode from Advanced Bionics which has recently received approval in Europe.  See press release for latest info. 

 

Neptune Batteries - My discovery

I can't believe I haven't posted my amazing discovery about longer-life AAA batteries for the Neptune.  

Lily wears bilateral Neptunes and also typically wears bilateral FMs all day at school that drain her batteries.  We were having trouble with the regular rechargable Duracells making it through the school day. They were also very unpredicatable. 

Then I discovered Rechargable Duracells - Stay Charged.  We now get almost 10 hours of power.  These little batteries have changed our life dramatically, as well taken the burden off Lily's teacher. 

I also see on the Duracell website that they now have a "Quick Charger" and a "15 minute Charger."  These might have to go on our next Wish List. Our current charger takes around 9 hours to charge, so it leaves little room for recharging user errors.   Ahhh technology!

Music perception - What can Lily hear?

I had a wonderful discussion with one of our blog readers about how Lily might hear the different notes on the piano.  I'm appreciative of her expert explanation and feedback.  
 
Lily, depending on where you play the notes on the keyboard, may be able to tell the difference of 1-4 semitones. In some areas, she’ll be able to tell you that C-C# sound different (when not looking) but may not always be able to tell you which direction they are going. In other areas of the keyboard, she may have to have C-E or larger to tell a difference. In addition, most implants are programmed for speech at around 250Hz, which is the F# below middle C. This usually knocks out the rest of the notes below there, but not always. Her larger challenge would be telling major from minor chords (and honestly, as a trained musician, it can be challenging).
 
Regarding music you have ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.’  The good is rhythm, the bad is timbre and the ugly is pitch. Mainly that is  because rhythm is a significant part of speech and helps us so it’s conveyed very well. Timbre, the ability to detect different tone qualities is harder, but can be learned.   It is hard because of its complex spectral quality. Think about how similar a clarinet and saxophone sound, for instance, now add in the complexity of a cochlear implant’s processing strategy.  Finally,pitch is the hardest, simply because you and I have 30,000 hair cells (each of which responds to one frequency) and Lily now has 18 electrodes to represent those same 30,000 hairs cells. That’s not to say she won’t be amazing (she clearly already is), but that she may have a “sweet spot” for certain types of music perception and production (ie., singing on key in a specific range).

Then Lily's fabulous music teacher, who shows so much interest in this topic (thank you), told us the following:

Semitone is another word for a half step, which would be the difference between one note next to another one on the piano, like B-C, E-F, or B flat-B. Lily was able to sing descending Major triads starting on Eb (E flat) and ending on G below middle C (which is pretty low for a kindergartner) So she sang descending triads in the Major keys of Eb, D, Db, C, B, Bb, A, Ab, and G. I'm convinced she can hear the difference between 1 semitone.

Amazing!

Sonova Report on Advanced Bionics' future products and other good stuff

Check out Sonova's report (AB's parent company - pg 36-41) from their recent Investor and Analyst meeting.

It highlights product rollout strategies, product pipelines, Neptune's success, integration strategies of AB and Phonak technology, and upcoming product launches in 2013.  

Very exciting to see new products and processors being developed for better hearing, longer battery life, reduction in size, signal processing, wireless connectivity, and bimodal connectivity.  

Genetics and Environment to Blame

Genetics and environment are more often to blame for poor CI performance according to new research in the Hearing Journal.

Research about timing of pediatric cochlear implantation

Here are three studies making the case for early implantation.  Lily was implanted at 10 months of age.  If we did it again, we'd try and get her implanted much earlier.  

School Hairdo

Here's Lily's stay put Kindergarten school hairdo.  On most days you don't even see her Advanced Bionics Neptune headpieces.  Only the tan wires that go down below her ponytails and into her shirt.  

I'm fascinated to read some of the blog speculators that are saying, based on patent applications, Advanced Bionics might be working on all-in-one headpiece/processor.  Can wait to see where the technology goes.