Integral Ear Institute

Achievements of IEI

In IEI, nearly 60 children are receiving intensive speech language rehabilitation and special education. In keeping with the primary goal of our institute, we have integrated seven to nine of our students into normal schools every year. Some are performing at par, and some at levels higher than their classmates with normal hearing. We consider this achievement a result of the sincere efforts of our speech therapists, special educators and co-operation from the parents of our children. Over 540 children have benefited from the services of IEI, large-scale screening programs have also been launched along with organizations such as Rotary and Red Cross to identify these children

Birth of IEI Residential School

Though the team at IEI consists of technically qualified professionals, we are unable to attain our full potential due to a few lacunae that primarily concern with infrastructure. We were running the pre-school in the premises of Vikram Hospital, where we were actually running short of space. This has a serious impact on the ease with which child with hearing impairment can listen teacher’s instructions since the activities of one group acoustically interfere with other
The number of parents who are waiting to get the children with hearing impairment trained at IEI is rapidly increasing. However, due to shortage of space and necessary infrastructure we are unable to accommodate several of the children who require assistance
Since most of our children who are seeking admission are from rural areas outside Coimbatore, we have planned for accommodation where the children can stay along with their mothers. Presence of the mother is crucial in the rehabilitation as the mother is the best teacher
With this perspective, IEI has started a residential school in Coimbatore at ponnuthu (Golden Falls), a picturesque locate at the foothills of the Western Ghats. This would be a state-of-the-art school, with specially designed acoustic cabins for teaching

Special Features of Residential School

Ideal small class sizes for highly individualized education
Amplification system with acoustic equipment / speakers
Special seating in the classrooms to promote speech reading
Class rooms designed with good acoustics and reductions of background noise
Multimedia theatre with captioned films
Library with speech and hearing software
Recreational centres
Parent ­ children accommodation

IEI has on its agenda, many further projects for the identification and uplifting of hearing impaired children

Current Areas of Activity

Early detection : By infant screening (especially high risk infants) and deafness detection camps
Diagnostic Services
Clinical and hearing examination of any child with a suspected hearing loss
Amplification / Cochlear implant-auditory training
Speech therapy by qualified full-time speech therapists and audiologists
Class education with special educators
Cultural and extra curricular activities to reduce social and psychological problems
Counseling services for children and parents
Preparation for integration with normal children
Mainstream support program : Continued support to students who have been main streamed into normal schools
Parent-Infant program : Individualized instruction on early home based rehabilitation
Public Education Campaigns : Mass awareness propagation and education on diagnosis and management of deafness

Sindhuja’s Story

When Sindhuja was a year and a half, her parents were devastated when they realised that she was born with no hearing at all. Her father, who had no speech due to a similar hearing handicap, did not want his daughter to go through the same trauma and isolation of his silent world. At age 2, she underwent surgery for a cochlear implant and today has discovered all the joys and sounds of a normal child. From having no hearing or speech, her life has changed tremendously after rehabilitation. She can respond and speak like a normal child, even have a telephonic conversation, and will not have any disability, due to this miracle called cochlear implant.

Contact details

For further details contact:
Vikram ENT Hospital & Research Institute
69, West Venkatasamy Road
RS Puram, Coimbatore - 641002
Phone : +91 422 2550633, 2546387, 2550133
Fax : +91 422 2545384