QUICK TIPS:

• Every parent has to make choices for their children about aids or implants. Aids and implants are not necessarily the best decision for every child but can prove helpful especially in the development of their speech. Take a look at our Communication Aids page to find out about all the benefits and risks of auditory aids. Whatever you decide, Gate recommends you choose to teach children Sign Language. Gate has found students who Sign, even if implanted, have greater accessibility, and an improved security in their deafness. One undeniable benefit is that those children can communicate when their aids are not available, are physical risk, or incapable of providing clear auditory translation. We have heard tragic stories of implanted children falling ill due to their implants, which then required their implants remain unused for a time. During their illness these children are unable to communicate with their families, friends and physicians. Successfully implanted children also find Sign Language helpful at locations such as concerts, seminars, collegiate lecture halls and in other locations where no implantation will manage sound effectively.

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