ABSTRACT
The psychological effects of being deaf are most obvious when the onset is early in life and when the degree of hearing loss is profound. If communication and language are not acquired early, there is a risk of cognitive and language delay. This, combined with poverty, can compound the deaf child’s vulnerability for abuse, neglect, and maltreatment (Lomas & Johnson, 2012). Also, such delay can also significantly affect the child’s educational, psychological, and social development, with repercussions for careers, marriages, friends, and overall quality of life. Ongoing findings in the areas of cognition, language, and neuroscience serve to create
Figure 4.1 Two girls use their categorization skills as they stack blocks
optimism for educational programs targeted to the needs of deaf children that can ameliorate the effects of earlier delays.
