Which of the following is a characteristic of the pragmatic communication skills of children with hearing impairments?

Children with hearing impairments often face challenges in social communication, which can significantly affect their pragmatic skills. One prominent characteristic is their difficulty in maintaining topics during conversations. This struggle can stem from several factors, such as limited access to auditory input, which affects their understanding of social cues and turn-taking in dialogue. As a result, they may find it hard to keep track of the flow of conversation, leading to abrupt topic changes or an inability to engage effectively in discussions.

The development of pragmatic communication skills relies heavily on exposure to language in social contexts. Children with hearing impairments might miss out on important conversational interactions, which impacts their ability to understand and recall relevant information necessary to sustain a topic. This also ties into their overall language development, as they might not have as many opportunities to practice conversational turn-taking and topic maintenance compared to their hearing peers.

Therefore, the characteristic of struggling to maintain topics in conversation represents a clear challenge faced by children with hearing impairments, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to support the development of their pragmatic communication skills.