This article presents information about the auditory and speech development of infants with normal hearing and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Methods of assessing hearing, evidence of auditory learning prior to birth, behavior assessment procedures, hearing aid use, and early identification and speech development are discussed. (Contains…

Early amplification is crucial to efficient habilitation and development of oral communication skills in hearing-impaired infants. Initial evaluation and fitting of amplification is a joint effort by the audiologist, therapist, and parents, whether the child uses traditional hearing aids or cochlear implants, and should be supplemented by a…