The effects of an early intervention program for 24 profoundly deaf children under 3 years of age were compared to outcomes for 12 deaf children who did not receive special intervention. The Counselling and Home Training Program, which serves families in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, is based on the philosophy of total communication with an emphasis on early language input. Other program components include the following: initial counseling concerning deafness and family reactions; home instruction by a trained teacher of the deaf; home instruction and group sign language instruction; various parent group activities; and consultation with a child psychiatrist. Assessment conducted when the children were 3 to 5.6 years old indicated the following outcomes: children receiving intervention showed more advanced social, communicative, and pre-academic skills than did the comparison group, as well as more advanced comprehension and expression of the abstract concept of time; and mothers in the intervention group reported significantly lower overall stress on the "Questionnaire on Resources and Stress" than did the comparison mothers. The positive effects for the intervention group were found on the basis of parent reports, interviewer rating, and behavioral observations. Future program needs include a greater emphasis on oral and aural skills, parent counseling, and special assistance to fathers. (SEW)