Technologies that help the deaf to hear such as the cochlear implant are able to work wonders for profoundly deaf individuals. Very young children who are born deaf are increasingly being given cochlear implants, but these children present a special challenge for doctors and scientists. They don't have the language development skills that people who have lost their hearing later in life possess, and as a result their ability to acquire language with a cochlear implant has not always been successful. It becomes the responsibility of the parents to make the life-changing decision of how the child will communicate. Will the child learn sign language, or will they be taught language and auditory skills like a hearing child? The wide variation in performance across individual users of cochlear implants makes these choices extremely difficult. Producer Loretta Williams explores with doctors, scientists, teachers, and families of deaf children the multiple questions and multiple answers surrounding the use of the cochlear implant.

The Soundprint documentary series features the best work of top radio producers. The award winning documentaries are renowned for drawing the listener into the story with compelling interviews, authentic voices and rich sound. From memoirs to science, health and popular culture, Soundprint creates a powerful experience the listener will not soon forget.

Here are some related Soundprint documentaries:

Educating Emily Produced by: Jean Snedegar

Web of Letters Produced by: Gemma Hooley

Soundprint Executive Producer: Moira Rankin

Technical Director: Anna Maria de Freitas

Audio Engineer: Alexandra Gardner

Associate Producer: Sesh Kannan