Adult Cochlear-Implant Users: New Technologies for the Auditory Training
Teresa Sicher
In Italy there is currently unevenness between Cochlear-Implant-Centres. Pre- and post-lingual adult Cochlear Implant (CI) users do not always receive speech-therapy treatment, both for economic reasons, and because often spontaneous hearing improvement is considered sufficient. The development of new technologies has led to the creation of online hearing training resources, so that remote rehabilitation is possible. Both patients receiving standard face-to-face therapy and those who do not have the opportunity to do so, can benefit from the online material. This article examines scientific evidence concerning this topic and discusses some online hearing training resources in the Italian language. In view of the clinical experience in the CI-Centre at the «Ca’ Granda» Hospital in Milan, some considerations and conclusions are presented regarding the employment of digital resources in speech-therapy treatment of adult CI-users.
Keywords
Tele-rehabilitation, Cochlear implant, Computer-Based Auditory Training, Pre- and post-lingually deafened adults, Evidence-based practice.