Choosing the Appropriate Habilitative Track for the Newly Identified Hearing-Impaired Child

Abstract

Based on prospective longitudinal data collected on 38 hearing-impaired infants, this study addresses the question, “What constitutes adequate progress in habilitation of the young deaf child?” The components of the newly developed Diagnostic Early Intervention Program aimed at selecting the most appropriate habilitative-educational track for the hearing-impaired infant will be described, together with data from the first 15 children who have completed the 6-month program. The results of a multidisciplinary medical evaluation completed on these children, including audiology, otolaryngology, aural rehabilitation, pediatrics, neurology, radiology, and genetics, will illustrate the important assistance these findings provide to the decision-making process of the habilitative-educational team.