{"id":3585,"date":"2019-04-26T14:24:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T21:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hearingsb.com\/?p=3585"},"modified":"2025-08-19T12:59:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T19:59:26","slug":"singing-helps-kids-with-cochlear-implants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hearingsb.com\/singing-helps-kids-with-cochlear-implants\/","title":{"rendered":"Singing Helps Kids with Cochlear Implants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cochlear implants help many people with hearing loss<\/a> in Santa Barbara whose impairment is too severe for hearing aids.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For children, whose language development is dependent upon an ability to hear, they can be life-changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order for kids with cochlear implants<\/strong> to hear even more effectively, researchers recommend singing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of Singing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Group<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Children with cochlear implants who sing informally can improve their overall hearing ability<\/strong>, according to the results of a study<\/a> in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers looked at three groups of children aged 4-13 to measure<\/a> their \u201cspeech-in-noise\u201d ability (how well they understood speech in noisy settings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the groups consisted of children with cochlear implants who enjoyed informal (unstructured, spontaneous) singing; another group was comprised of kids with cochlear implants<\/strong> who were less likely to sing; and a third control group was made up of children with normal hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children in all three groups were asked to point out pictures representing words and phrases that were being broadcast over a loudspeaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were situated in rooms with steady background noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not surprisingly, the kids with normal hearing had the best overall speech recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who wore cochlear implants<\/strong> and enjoyed singing showed better attention and speech perception skills and were better able to recognize rhythm patterns than the kids who were less likely to sing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Challenges of Background Noise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Background noise affects anybody with hearing loss in Santa Barbara<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who wear cochlear implants struggle even more because these devices have a narrow audio range that makes it harder to process simultaneous competing sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This places young children, whose language and learning skills are dependent upon being able to hear, at a disadvantage; background noise is impossible to escape in school and daycare settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-term negative effects include low self-esteem and poor relationships with peers; these can result in academic struggles and social isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids whose parents sing to them are more likely to pick up the habit of informal singing \u2013 that is, the type that might occur in response to reading a nursery rhyme or watching a movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s likely that paying attention to their parents\u2019 mouth and lip movements while singing helps learn to rely on visual cues more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, singing<\/a> improves vocal pitch, intensity and speech rhythm, strengthening the connection between hearing and speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most songs kids like to sing have few words and rely heavily on repetition, factors that seem to be instrumental in achieving the best overall results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Santa Barbara Audiologist<\/a> suggests you encourage your kids to sing as much as possible, especially if they wear cochlear implants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have to invest in a few more Disney movies than you\u2019d planned, but their long-term hearing health is worth the sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related Hearing Loss Posts:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n