ABSTRACT
Early language deprivation seems to cause a recognizable constellation of social, emotional, intellectual, and other consequences. Although the phrase "language deprivation syndrome" may be new, the observation, that deficits observed in some deaf people's life skills might be due not to sensory deprivation or to social impoverishment, but specifically to language deprivation, is not. Language deprivation is often the unintended outcome of well-intentioned efforts to promote a child's language development. The existence of language deprivation is a corollary to the existence of a critical period for learning one's first language. The most severe cases of deprivation therefore follow a child's not being exposed to consistent and fully elaborated language during the entire critical period, approximately the first five years of life. Language deprivation persists in large part because it crosses the boundaries of multiple professional disciplines, none of which is solely responsible for a child's language outcome.
