It has been said that reading requires two related capabilities, first you must be familiar with a language and second you must understand the mapping between that language and the printed word (Chamberlain & Mayberry). Children with a prelingual deafness are at a disadvantage for both counts, but some of these children can read fluently. Research suggests that deaf children with good signing skills may be better readers than those with poorer signing skills. This indicates that knowing a language may facilitate learning to read. However, skill in signing does not guarantee an ability to read; reading must be taught. Although the process is much more complex, the ability to acquire language is possible for prelingual deaf children. .
Prelingual deafness refers to a person who was or becomes deaf before having learned a language. Roughly 12,000 babies are born with prelingual deafness each year, which is roughly 4-11 out of every 10,000 babies born. A child with a profound hearing loss may hear loud sounds perceived as vibrations. This prelingual hearing loss can be either acquired, meaning it occurred after birth due to illness or injury, or it can be congenital, meaning it was present at birth. Congenital hearing loss can be caused by genetic or nongenetic factors such as and usually maternal infections. An important fact to know is that "more than 90% of prelingually deaf children are unlikely to ever develop good speech and good speech-reception skills, despite being fitted with hearing aids and provided with oral instruction and speech therapy at a young age " (Cassia Margolis). One additional fact is that deaf children who are more likely to obtain high reading levels and graduate from college were the children whose parents were themselves deaf, although 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. .
In order to allow these children to adapt, total communication must be taught.