SummaryDeafness does not in itself cause emotional/behavioural or cognitive problems or psychiatric disorders. However, children with hearing impairment are at greater risk of developing emotional/behavioural problems and neurodevelopmental disorders. The incidence of both seems to be higher in deaf children from hearing families. Most prelingual deafness is caused by recessive genes; hence, most deaf individuals come from hearing families, the majority of whom do not use sign language. Numerous studies, in both hearing and deaf populations, show how the lack of access to language has an impact on the emotional development of children. This article focuses on the mechanisms by which early language deprivation mediates emotional/behavioural difficulties and consequent emotional dysregulation, and may produce behaviours and symptoms that can be misdiagnosed as neurodevelopmental disorders in deaf children and adolescents (from infancy to 18 years of age).

There is limited research comparing the presentation of autism in deaf and hearing children and young people. These comparisons are important to facilitate accurate diagnosis, as rates of misdiagnosis and delay in diagnosis amongst deaf children and young people are high. The aim of this study was to compare diagnostic assessment profiles of a UK cohort of autistic deaf and hearing children and young people. The Autism Diagnostic Interview—Revised—Deaf 5 adaptation was completed with the parents of 106 children and young people (deaf children = 65; hearing children = 41). The majority of items explored showed no significant differences between deaf and hearing children and young people. Differences were found in peer relationships, where autistic deaf participants were less likely to respond to the approaches of other children or play imaginatively with peers. These findings need to be taken into consideration by clinicians in the assessment process.