I continue to be confused by the standard answer -- your son will be fine with HAs. When I listen to children speaking well through CI, I am surprised at the degree of speech that I think is missing. I am trying to understand, since I am new to this. As I dig into this topic, I realize there are many other issues that impair speech (muscle ability, mental ability), but I am hoping that there is a way to compare HA speech with CI speech.

CID Research

The mission of the CID research department is to "provide knowledge that will minimize or prevent the debilitating consequences of hearing loss." To fulfill this mission, CID has established two centers of research: the Center for Childhood Deafness and Adult Aural Rehabilitation and the Fay and Carl Simons Center for Biology of Hearing and Deafness. The CID director of research is Nancy Tye Murray, Ph.D. murray@cid.wustl.edu (314) 977-0253.

CENTER FOR CHILDHOOD DEAFNESS AND ADULT AURAL REHABILITATION

Scientists in this center conduct research on the perception and production of speech and language by deaf children, sensory aid use by deaf children, deaf education and adult aural rehabilitation. Their goal is to increase the prevalence of literacy among people who are hearing impaired. CID's school children, clinic clients and graduate studies students often participate as either subjects or experimenters in this research.
An important function of the center is to disseminate information obtained through research to parents and teachers of hearing-impaired children and to family members and caregivers serving hearing-impaired adults, both at CID and throughout the world. Another is to develop assessment tools and training programs used to help these populations. For more information, contact Ann Geers, Ph.D., head of the CID Center for Childhood Deafness and Adult Aural Rehabilitation geers@cid.wustl.edu (314) 977-0156.

I am not sure what studies you are referencing, but I know of no such study that documents "very high failure rate(s)" of the CI. On the contrary, there is overwhelming evidence to support the benefits offered by the CI. In addition, the CI has shown to be effective in both pre- and post lingual children. (See "Cochlear implants prove their worth." The Lancet, Sept 14, 1991 v338 n8768 p664(2)or "A Prospective, Randomized Study Of Cochlear Implants." Cohen, Noel L.; Waltzman, Susan B.;Fisher, Susan G.,The New England Journal of Medicine, Jan 28,1993 v328 n4 p233(5), or "Status Of Cochlear Implantation In Children".,Authors:Kveton, John; Balkany, Thomas J., Journal of Pediatrics, Jan 1991 v118 n1 p1(7))."

I am sorry, but your comments fall into the "urban myth" category of CI's that were dispelled more than 10 years ago as documented in the studies listed above.