Patterns of Cochlear Implant Use and Speech Exposure in Children With Single-Sided Deafness Compared to Bimodal Devices in the Post-Pandemic Period

Daily CI use varies widely in children with good residual hearing in their non-implanted ear and is at greater risk for decline over time in the SSD-CI group compared to the bimodal device users. Reduced CI use in school-aged children with SSD leads to decreased hours of speech exposure through the CI. The percentage of speech exposure logged by the CI confirms that speech access declined during the pandemic but reveals an encouraging return to pre-pandemic levels after restrictions were lifted.