Motor development profiles of preschool deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

11 deaf and hard-of-hearing preschool children generally exhibited normal or at-age profiles of motor development. The few delays in certain functional areas were assumed to be due partially to lack of training and play experience rather than to deafness or hearing impairment. Two boys had a variety of motor and physical problems. Also some of the at-age children functioned above-age in a few skill areas. Two of the 4 children who demonstrated specific balance skill deficits had had meningitis at an early age; this supported the rationale that there was a relationship between etiology of meningitis and specific balance difficulties.