What impact do hearing impairments have on speech and language development?

Hearing impairments significantly influence both speech and language development, making it accurate to say that they lead to delays in speech production and vocabulary acquisition. When children experience hearing loss, they may miss crucial auditory information that is necessary for learning the sounds of their language, which directly affects their ability to produce speech sounds accurately. Additionally, without ample exposure to spoken language, their vocabulary growth can be hindered, limiting their ability to understand and use language effectively in communication.

This impact begins early in life, as infants typically learn to speak by listening to the sounds around them. Those with hearing impairments may not hear these sounds or may hear them differently, thereby reducing their opportunities for sound imitation and vocabulary learning. Consequently, children with hearing impairments often face challenges that can lead to delayed speech, reduced vocabulary, and overall difficulties in language acquisition compared to their peers with typical hearing.