The Ida Institute has begun work on a new tool for pediatric cochlear implant patients. The Journey of Life tool began as a product of our “Successes, Gaps and Challenges in CI Rehabilitation: The CI Journey for Children and their Families” seminar in April 2015.
The Journey of Life tool presents hearing impairment as a lifelong journey with different milestones to be reached and passed through. The tool will enable hearing care professionals to work with parents and children to set goals, identify the steps required to reach those goals, and decide with parents and children what they wish to do in order to take those steps. The tool will come with documentation forms to record the discussions and decisions.
This pediatric tool will be intended for use with children ages 0-12. It will give families autonomy over the child’s journey, helping them to make decisions with the hearing care professional and personalizing the child’s care. Topics to be addressed by the tool will include everyday needs, feelings, technology, and resources.
Collaborators on the project are Carolyne Edwards, Vivan Gies, Amy Szarkowski, Kalyani Mandke, Nancy Muscato, and Beth Atkinson, all of whom participated in our CI seminar. Development of the tools is still in very early stages, and it will not be ready for release until 2017. We look forward to sharing our progress with you.