2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/16/2026 | 1:55 PM - 2:25 PM | Cochlear implant experiences at Gallaudet University | Orlando
Cochlear implant experiences at Gallaudet University
Cochlear implant (CI) users at Gallaudet University occupy a distinctive position: they navigate a bilingual environment where American Sign Language is the primary language and auditory technology is a part of their daily sensory experiences. Most CI research focuses on users in hearing-majority settings where spoken language is primary and auditory access is expected for participation. Less is known about how CI users experience sensory and social dimensions of device use in institutional spaces designed to center American Sign Language. Understanding how students navigate CI use in this environment offers valuable insight for families and professionals planning long-term communication pathways after implantation.
This exploratory qualitative study asks: (1) How do CI-using students describe their everyday sensory and communicative experiences at Gallaudet? (2) What contextual factors influence their device use patterns? (3) How might these insights inform early intervention counseling about diverse communication environments?
Six to eight students will document their CI experiences over 3-4 weeks through video, audio, or written formats. These documentation tools will be co-designed in an initial workshop to ensure they work best for these co-investigators. Follow-up interviews and participatory mapping sessions will explore sensory experiences of device use, embodied perceptions of campus and off-campus spaces, and social dynamics across different settings. Analysis will use iterative coding to identify sensory, spatial, and social patterns in students’ experiences, which will be reviewed and refined in a collaborative workshop session.
Preliminary findings will illustrate the range of ways CI users engage with technology at Gallaudet University, highlighting how language, space, and social context shape sensory experience and participation. These insights may broaden understanding among early intervention professionals and families of the diverse contexts in which CI users may navigate communication beyond early childhood.
- Describe how CI-using students experience their devices across different embodied, spatial, and social contexts at Gallaudet University
- Identify methodological approaches for studying cochlear implant experiences that center the users
- Apply insights about CI use in primarily signing environments to early intervention counseling with families about long-term communication and educational pathways.
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Presenters/Authors
Mary Caroline Yuk
(Primary Presenter), Deaf Studies Incubator , caroline.yuk@gallaudet.edu;
Mary Caroline Yuk is a Deaf Studies Incubator Fellow at Gallaudet University.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.