An average of 24000 American children
are born deaf
or hard of hearing each year.
Today more than 40 percent of
them receive cochlear implants
which can effectively restore
their hearing.
The technology can be life-changing
for children and their families.
But it might also
signal big changes for a
central part of Deaf culture:
American Sign Language.
I was in shock because
like when you hear like your
child is almost deaf
it's very hard to handle this.
Miriam is four years old.
She was born severely deaf.
She was fitted with hearing aids
when she was just months old
and attends a school with hearing children.
Her parents decided that she
didn't need to learn sign language.
[inaudible]
Excuse me what?
[inaudible]
We know that she's communicating
and she's pretty active.
But her speech is more like a baby language.
Tomorrow is her big day
and I can't wait to have her implant.
The day after we shot this,
Miriam had her cochlear implant surgery.
The implants allow audio
information to bypass the ear
and enter the brain directly.
Patients are typically given
a month to heal before
the implant is turned on.
We were with the Zabaznys
the day Miriam's implants were activated.
OK we're just about ready to listen.
So what I'm going to do is
start off very very quiet
and slowly raise
the volume until we really see
a response.
Shh, shh, shh.
Eee, Eee, Eee.
Miriam.
Shhhhhhh.
Shh, Shh, Shh.
Sssssssssss.
Sssssssssss
Yes, on her own!
It's like she hears!
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Yes, she imitated!
Yes, sweetheart.
Bah, bah.
Where's Mommy?
Where's Mommy, hi Mommy.
Great work, kiddo.
Well we're hopeful that Miriam
will achieve much improved hearing.
That her speech
understanding capacity
will be much improved.
The data shows that she
should catch up in a couple years
to her peers.
Cochlear implants are effective
in more than 80 percent of cases.
and are covered by most
insurance plans.
While the implants have given
many children the ability to
hear.
Some say that deaf children who
don't learn sign language are
losing an opportunity to
connect with Deaf culture.
Douglas Ridloff is a kindergarten
teacher at St. Joseph's School
for the Deaf in the Bronx.
Enrollment is down 50 percent
from 30 years ago when cochlear
implants first hit the market
Across the country,
deaf schools are shutting down
as more parents opt for implants.
Xavier Tucker was born with
Dandy-Walker syndrome,
which causes congenital brain malformations.
And was diagnosed as deaf at 18 months.
His mom decided against
cochlear implants when she saw
how her son was thriving at St. Joseph's.
I explored the option of
a cochlear implant, but I declined it
Due to the fact that Xavier
had been in the hospital for so long.
I don't want to add something.
I think he's doing fine.
He picked up ASL
very quickly and when I
do see him with his classmates
he's very proud
of who he is.
American Sign Language
has only gained legitimacy
in the last few decades,
and Ridloff worries
about what will happen to it now.
[laughter]