Twenty-four hearing-impaired subjects (mean age 67 years) were tested for lipreading skills under 3 conditions (full face, eyes masked, only lips visible). Results show no significant association between facial visibility and lipreading ability. Results are interpreted in the context of the phonological and semantic components of speech.…

This study found significantly better lipreading scores by 31 children with hearing impairments than by 15 children with normal hearing (all 10 and 11 years old). However, correlations between degree of hearing loss and lipreading ability were nonsignificant. The study provides partial support for the doctrine of sensory compensation. (DB)