Parental hearing status affects development, and therefore adult functioning. When a deaf child is born to hearing parents it affects a range of factors, including language development, access to information, and emotional adjustment. Historically, studies have suggested that deaf children with deaf parents have higher cognitive functioning than those with hearing parents, although the reasons for such findings are the subject of ongoing debate.
Indirect effects of deafness include the mode of communication used during childhood, such as American Sign Language (ASL) or other sign systems, oral communication, combined methods, or Cued Speech.