Before the matching procedure was begun, children of hearing parents were eliminated from consideration if they had any of the following characteristics:
1. deaf siblings 2. racial or ethnic minority group membership 3. secondary handicap (e.g., physical condition in addition to deafness,which inter fered with functioning) 4. deafened after the age of 2 years 5. deafness resulted from maternal rubella, Rh incompatibility, or anoxia