The Assessment and Aural Rehabilitation Tool for Cochlear Implant Recipients With Unilateral Hearing Loss

Abstract

Purpose Cochlear implantation may be a viable treatment option for patients with moderate-to-profound hearing loss in 1 ear and normal to near-normal hearing in the contralateral ear. There is a need for modified aural rehabilitation assessment and intervention tools for this unique patient population to support improvements with the cochlear implant (CI). The present report describes the development and implementation of the Assessment and Aural Rehabilitation Tool (AART) created for adult CI recipients with unilateral hearing loss (UHL). Conclusion The tool was used as an early assessment measure for CI in subjects with UHL and as a method to determine individualized auditory training plans. The AART was modified considering the initial abilities of this unique subject group. Ongoing studies are assessing the effectiveness of CI use in pediatric subjects with UHL and developing the pediatric version of the AART.