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Cochlear Implant Program

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Provider using otoscope on patient

If your child is deaf or hard-of-hearing, it can significantly impact their cognitive, linguistic, and social development, making spoken language, social interactions and the ability to learn in a mainstream environment difficult. If your child does not receive appropriate benefit from hearing aids, they could be considered for cochlear implant surgery to provide better auditory access for communication and speech and language development.

Our team can help guide you through this process before, during and after surgery, providing you and your child with extensive support.

Our Providers

Our pediatric specialists provide personalized care for your child’s physical, mental and emotional health needs.

Contact Information

For appointments, please call 1-888-884-BEAR (2327) and for information, call 202-476-3925.

Choosing the Cochlear Implant Program at Children’s National Hospital

The Cochlear Implant Program at Children’s National performs approximately 50 cochlear implant surgeries each year, which is more than any other pediatric cochlear implant program in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Highlights of our program include:

  • World-renowned experts. Our team is comprised of pediatric specialists who treat children with all levels and types of hearing loss and perform a wide range of surgeries to improve access to sound. We have performed over 300 cochlear implant surgeries in the past 7 years, and we operate on children as young as 6 months old.
  • Care for all. Through our community health services and programs, we can expand access to care and provide cochlear implant surgery to more patients and families. We offer cochlear implant candidacy testing and cochlear implant programming follow-up appointments at various specialty care centers throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. 
  • A smooth and streamlined process. Our specialists provide seamless care before, during and after cochlear implant surgery, ensuring that your child receives quality care in the safest environment. We value the interdisciplinary team approach throughout the cochlear implant candidacy process to ensure each child and their families complete each step in the most efficient manner. 
  • Supportive recovery. After implantation, we support patients through auditory habilitation/rehabilitation, speech and language intervention, and close coordination between parents, schools, and the cochlear implant center to maximize benefit from the use of a cochlear implant and support each family’s goals for communication and language development.

The Cochlear Implant Program at Children's National Hospital

If your child does not receive appropriate benefit from hearing aids, they could be considered for cochlear implant surgery to provide better auditory access for communication and speech and language development. Learn about our program.

Our Team Approach

The Importance of Early Intervention for Hearing Loss

Single Sided Deafness (SSD)

Understanding Hearing Loss and Surgery

Understanding your child's condition is an important step on your treatment journey. Learn more about causes, symptoms and diagnosis for hearing loss, as well as the treatment we offer at Children's National.

Patient Stories

Family Resources

Early Intervention Programs

Family Support Resources