COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION
Cochlear implants represent a major advancement in the treatment of people with profound hearing loss over the past century. Today, in many countries all over the world, cochlear implantation is an affordable method of habilitation and rehabilitation of people with profound hearing impairment. While a lot of people with hearing impairments can hear with hearing aids, many people with profound deafness do not. Hearing loss in early childhood prevents the development of spoken language. For these people, cochlear implants are the only means to develop verbal communication. To better understand the slow progress and breakthroughs in cochlear implantation, a brief overview of the history of cochlear implant development is needed.