Final answer:
A prelingual hearing impairment occurs before a child has learned language, which is option C. This type of hearing loss can be due to conductive or sensorineural problems and can affect a child's language development and communication skills.
Step-by-step explanation:
A prelingual hearing impairment refers to an impairment that occurs C) Before learning a language. This type of hearing loss happens prior to the acquisition of language skills in infants and young children. It can have a significant impact on an individual's ability to develop spoken language and communicate effectively.
Hearing loss can be classified in different ways. Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a problem that prevents sound from being properly conducted through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones, or ossicles, of the middle ear. On the other hand, sensorineural hearing loss involves the inner ear or the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain and is the most common type of permanent hearing loss.
It's important to identify and address hearing loss as early as possible since it can influence children's language development. Effective treatments, like hearing aids or cochlear implants, may be recommended depending on the type and severity of the hearing loss.