What is a common characteristic of phonological impairment in infants with hearing loss during the first six months of life?

Infants with hearing loss often exhibit different patterns of vocalization compared to their hearing peers. While typically developing infants engage in a variety of vocalizations, including babbling with a wide array of sounds and patterns, those with hearing loss may not have the same auditory feedback that encourages diverse production of sounds. As a result, they can exhibit more limited vocalizations when compared to their hearing counterparts.

A common characteristic seen in these infants is that their vocalizations often show significant differences from those of hearing infants, leading to decreased similarity in vocalization patterns. They may lack the ability to produce varied speech sounds that characterize the vocalizations of their hearing peers. This limitation in sound production reflects the impact of auditory input on the development of phonological skills.

Furthermore, the importance of auditory feedback in shaping babbling and eventual speech production signifies why hearing impaired infants struggle to match the vocalization experiences of hearing infants. Thus, the characteristic of having similar vocalizations to hearing peers is not typically found in infants with phonological impairments resulting from hearing loss during their early months.