Developmental aspects of an infant with transient moderate to severe hearing impairment

In this communication, we describe the behavior and some aspects of the development of a hearing-impaired infant during the period of moderate to severe hearing impairment (70 dB hearing loss) followed by resolution of hearing loss. The findings indicate that the lack of auditory input had an effect on the organization of his behavior by as early as 3 months of life; vision was already being used in a compensatory way to make up for the deficient auditory input; and behavioral deviations due to the hearing impairment were reversed when auditory input was established at the age of 4 months.