This listserv was established in January of 1998 by Karen Biernat of Bristol, Connecticut (USA) and Naomi Higgs of Adelaide, Australia. The CI Circle is a discussion forum originally intended for parents of children with cochlear implants and for parents looking for information about cochlear implants. Over the years, others have joined the list from around the world. Besides parents, members include adults who are deaf/hoh, extended family members, professionals,cochlear implant manufacturers. The forum is primarily for parents of children with implants or looking at getting an implant. Example discussion threads are educational placements, candidacy/insurance issues for children and parenting issues with a focus on children with cochlear implants.This forum is unsuitable for adults looking to discuss implants, and other adult CI experiences.
We ask that members of the group respect parents' choices regarding brands of cochlear implants, language methodologies and educational placements. Please offer advice based on your personal experiences and/or published research. Manufacturers may not post on the CI Circle, but are welcome to read any and all messages. Parent Volunteers with an affiliation with an implant manufacturer are requested to add "parent volunteer" to the signature line of their email post. Parent Volunteers are requested not to post on any implant brands other than the one they are affiliated with. Under no circumstances are the comments on this list to be used for research, publication, etc., without the express consent of the person who posted. Researchers are asked to seek the permission of the list owners before posting research questionnaires on the CI Circle. Please refrain from using the CI Circle for purposes other than the discussion of cochlear implants. Questions regarding the CI Circle to Karen Biernat at: biernatfamily@yahoo.com
You can meet some of our members and access some amazing resources at our website www.cicircle.org