Valid testing of a subject with a hearing impairment requires first of all that the examiner detect the existence of the disability! This is often more difficult than it seems. Many persons with mild hearing loss learn compensate for this disability by pretending to understand what others say and waiting for further conversational cues to help clarify faintly perceived words or phrases. As a result, other persons-including psychologists-may not perceive that an individual with mild hearing loss has any disability at all