Prelingual Deafness

Deafness present at birth or acquired before a child has developed spoken language, typically before around age three. Prelingually deaf individuals commonly learn a signed language as a first language and may have different literacy trajectories in the surrounding written/spoken language. For accessibility practitioners, the prelingual/postlingual distinction affects preferred communication modalities, use of captions versus sign interpretation, and the likely effectiveness of cochlear implants or hearing aids — and it shapes identity and community affiliation within Deaf culture.