Recently Savanah and I have ran into several children with cochlear implants. This is such a neat experience for her, since most of the time, the people you see with hearing devices are older and have hearing aids. So to see another child have a cochlear implant automatically connects you to them! And we have no problem talking to the family or the child, in fact, if they are in earshot, we do every time.
Kids who have cochlear implants are bonded. It's not like that if you wear glasses or anything, but these kids have been through the ringer. They are learning something so new and yes, even though we won't publicly announce it to them on a daily basis, they are a little bit different, definitely a little more special. Savanah beams with pride when she meets a family with a child who also has a cochlear implant and I beam even more when I get to show how wonderfully Savanah is doing with her speech and language.
We have come to know that every child who recieves a cochlear implant reacts differently. Some progress faster, some regress. The outcomes are all so different. These children are all so unique in their own ways. What may work for one, may not work for the other. But all in all, it is such a neat experience to talk with a family, or a mother, or just the child, for a moment, and walk away from that moment feeling relieved other people go through this process as well.
So even if you don't have a cochlear implant, but you see someone who does. . . why don't you stop them. Let them know you know a bit about those! Ask them how they are liking it. It probably would make their day, it definitely makes Savanah's!
