Students with cochlear implants' experiences of built, sound, and social school environments

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students with cochlear implants (CIs) are increasingly attending mainstream schools but often encounter social barriers with peers. This study explores how environmental factors and individual adaptation strategies shape these social experiences, interviewing 13 CI users (aged 17-27) who attended mainstream education....

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No immediate change to audiological fitting practice, but findings reinforce the importance of audiologists advocating for better acoustic environments and school support systems when counselling families of cochlear implant recipients.

First-person accounts from CI students in mainstream schools highlight systemic acoustic and social barriers that technology alone cannot overcome, informing rehabilitation planning and educational advocacy.

1. 01Qualitative study in J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ captures lived experiences of CI users in mainstream schools.
2. 02Students reported challenges related to classroom acoustics, building design, and social inclusion.
3. 03Findings highlight a gap between CI technology capability and real-world school environment support.
4. 04Social environment was identified as a distinct barrier alongside physical and acoustic factors.
5. 05Results can inform audiologist guidance to families and educational audiologists' advocacy roles.

PMID

42536820

DOI

10.1093/jdsade/enag047.

Journal

Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Deaf and hard-of-hearing students with cochlear implants attending mainstream schools

Intervention

Qualitative exploration of school environment experiences (built, acoustic, social)