Cochlear Implants: Understanding the Benefits and Risks

8. Adults vs. Children

Adults typically benefit quickly and improve rapidly for the first three months. After that, improvements still occur but at a much slower pace and over several years. Children who receive a cochlear implant followed by intensive speech therapy before 18 months of age have much better results than children who receive their implants later in life. Some may develop language at the same rate as their peers with normal hearing. Older children experience improvement more slowly and may not reach the same performance level.