What does aural habilitation aim to achieve for individuals with prelingual hearing loss?

Aural habilitation specifically targets individuals with prelingual hearing loss, meaning that their hearing impairment occurred before they acquired language. The primary goal of habilitation in this context is to help these individuals develop new listening and communication skills that they might not have acquired due to their hearing loss.

This process often involves teaching them how to recognize sounds, understand spoken language, and communicate effectively, often making use of hearing aids or cochlear implants if appropriate. Since prelingual individuals have not yet developed language, the focus shifts from improving existing skills (as would be the case for someone who has lost their hearing after learning to speak) to creating a foundation for language and communication from the ground up.

For individuals with this type of hearing loss, simply compensating for auditory deficits, preventing further deterioration, or improving existing skills is not the main focus of aural habilitation; instead, the aim is to facilitate the acquisition of new skills that are essential for effective communication.