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AudiologyEar, Nose and Throat

Cochlear Implant Center

Some children have such profound hearing loss that a hearing aid won't help. For them, the answer may be a cochlear implant, an electronic device that provides the experience of hearing by directly stimulating the hearing nerve.

UCSF's pediatric Cochlear Implant Center has been developing and designing cochlear implant systems for more than 30 years. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists includes pediatric surgeons, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, an educator and outreach liaison and a team coordinator. They work closely together, from the initial evaluation to surgery and long-term follow-up.

Not every child with severe hearing loss is a candidate for a cochlear implant. We consider many factors, including medical status, current language level, language potential, school program the child is enrolled in and family involvement. After implantation, we will work closely with your family, as well as with schools, teachers, therapists and other health care providers, to maximize your child's potential for understanding language and for communicating.

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    • Photo I.D.
    • Health insurance card
    • Insurance authorization, if required
    • Doctor's referral, if required
    • Recent test results related to your child's condition
    • List of medications, including dosages, plus any your child is allergic to
    • List of questions you may have
    • Device or paper for taking notes

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    Preschool Hearing Screening

    Percentage of children identified with hearing loss; (number of children identified with hearing loss) / (number of all screened children)

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