Which category describes a hearing impairment so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification?

• A. Hearing Impairments
• B. Deafness
• C. Intellectual Disabilities
• D. Speech or Language Impairments

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding how severe hearing loss is categorized in relation to language processing. When a child has such a severe loss that processing linguistic information through hearing is impaired even with amplification, this condition is described as deafness. That label specifically signals that access to spoken language via audition is significantly limited, requiring alternative ways to communicate and specialized instructional approaches to develop language and literacy skills.

Think of it this way: a broad category of hearing impairments covers a range of hearing levels, but it doesn’t pin down the extent to which language is understood through listening. Intellectual disabilities describe overall cognitive functioning, not the hearing-related access to language. Speech or language impairments refer to difficulties with producing or understanding language that can occur with typical hearing as well, and aren’t defined by the level of auditory access to language. Therefore, the description given matches deafness, which centers on severe auditory limitations affecting linguistic processing.