ABSTRACT
Developmental psychologists study the influence of multiple factors on development at every age and stage of life. These include biological, environmental, social, cultural, and behavioral influences. Some aspects of development, such as prenatal development and language development, are closely tied to sensitive periods, which are periods during which a child is maximally ready to process specific kinds of information, language being one, as indicated in Chapter 4. Interactions between the child and the environment, particularly during these critical periods, can profoundly influence how the child develops. With a deaf child, these interactions need to be shaped in ways that can maximize psychological development.
