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This digest uses a question-and-answer format to summarize issues in the use of cochlear implants (an array of electrodes surgically implanted into the cochlea) with deaf or hard-of-hearing children. It describes the implants and summarizes the research on the effectiveness of the devices, which indicates that the devices are most effective in cases of postlingual deafness. The population who are candidates for this technology is identified, noting that candidacy criteria are becoming broader to include some children with residual hearing. Benefits of cochlear implants are listed, such as increased capacity for spoken language acquisition, improved behavior, and increased intelligibility of speech. Possible limitations of implants are also considered and parents are provided with a list of questions to ask when considering the cochlear implant option. (Contains 15 references.) (DB)

This document consists of the nine issues of the journal "Exceptional Parent" published during 1993. This journal contains articles particularly aimed at parents of children with disabilities. Major articles published during this period are the following: "Annual Guide to Products and Services"; "Coping with Incontinence" (Katherine F. Jeter); "Annual Income Tax Guide"; "Finding Funding for Assistive Technology"; "Insurance Claim Appeal" (Ryan J. Whitlow); "Adventures in Camping" (Ellen Coe); "Tough Choice" (Carole Briggs Ayres); "Recreation Resource Section"; "Evaluating Feeding Concerns" (Ellen H. King); "Health Care Reform" (David J. Dunn); "Aquatic Sports"; "Family Support Programs Are Growing"; "Inclusion" (from a parent's, a child's, an administrator's, and a U.S. Senator's perspectives); "Parent-Teacher Cooperation--A Shared Responsibility" (Priscilla H. Presley); "Residential Placement: Coping with Separation" (Karen Cord Taylor); "Choosing Holiday Toys"; "Health Care Reform: Getting to the Heart of the Matter" (William Sciarillo); "Purchasing a Hearing Aid"; "Update on School Bus Safety" (Roseann Schwaderer); "New Technology for Artificial Arms"; "Getting Started with Computers"; "Alliance for Technology Access Directory"; and "Technology Use at Home." (DB)

This brief presents a novel application of adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) for optimal adaptive control of powered lower limb prostheses, a type of wearable robots to assist the motor function of the limb amputees. Current control of these robotic devices typically relies on finite state impedance control (FS-IC), which lacks adaptability to the user’s physical condition. As a result, joint impedance settings are often customized manually and heuristically in clinics, which greatly hinder the wide use of these advanced medical devices. This simulation study aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of ADP for automatic tuning of the twelve knee joint impedance parameters during a complete gait cycle to achieve balanced walking. Given that the accurate models of human walking dynamics are difficult to obtain, the model-free ADP control algorithms were considered. First, direct heuristic dynamic programming (dHDP) was applied to the control problem, and its performance was evaluated on OpenSim, an often-used dynamic walking simulator. For the comparison purposes, we selected another established ADP algorithm, the neural fitted Q with continuous action (NFQCA). In both cases, the ADP controllers learned to control the right knee joint and achieved balanced walking, but dHDP outperformed NFQCA in this application during a 200 gait cycle-based testing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]