This book was written by members of the Dallas Cochlear Implant Program, to serve the needs of parents considering cochlear implantation for their children. It provides a balanced introduction to the topic, offering comprehensive, accessible information and interesting case studies.
The book confidently addresses parental expectations, offering insight to likely outcomes from a clinical and psychological basis. The chapters on hearing and speech are clearly written and give a good background to the relevant issues.
Based on the Dallas team and model, this book contains information essential for the American readership, but which may be confusing for those elsewhere. A small section of the book describes American legal issues, and there is an entire chapter dedicated to insurance and funding. Published in 2009, the book contains information which may soon be out-of-date, including indications for cochlear implantation (a topic which is the subject of current research) and current models of cochlear implant.
Operative photographs in black and white are not excellent quality. I struggled to work out what they were demonstrating, and wondered whether parents would wish to see such images. Line diagrams might have been clearer, perhaps with a YouTube link for those wishing to see gory details!
This is a useful and informative book which provides comprehensive and well-written information, albeit with an American bias. It would be very useful to parents making informed decisions about treatment. It would also be a valuable addition to the bookshelves of medical and allied health professionals seeking to understanding this topic on a multidisciplinary basis, and wishing to serve the information needs of parents considering cochlear implantation for their children.
