To determine whether deficits warranting intervention are present in the later functioning of high-risk infants, 22 premature infants who experienced asphyxia or chronic lung disease (CLD) but who had no gross developmental abnormalities were evaluated. Assessments of auditory perception and receptive language ability were made during later childhood (ages 4 to 8 years). A total of 21 age-matched children born at term with no complications composed the comparison group. High-risk subjects were found to be significantly inferior to the comparison subjects in discriminating auditory tones, perceiving rapid auditory sequences, and exhibiting receptive language skills. CLD subjects were found to be significantly inferior to asphyxia subjects only in receptive language skills. It was concluded that these deficits in later childhood indicate the need to monitor high-risk infant development despite the absence of gross delays. (Author/RH)