Graduates (N=54) of a program for profoundly hearing impaired infants and their families were assessed from 1 to 6 years after leaving the program to determine the longitudinal effectiveness of the early intervention. Effects of five variables (sex, parents' educational levels, birth order, parents' hearing status, and age of intervention) on the Ss' early language functioning were measured, and later functioning was examined through teacher rating scales combined with the results of naturalistic classroom observations. Findings of maternal language analysis revealed that the maternal language repertoire appeared to reflect the mother's emotional state which, in turn, exerted long-term effects on the children. Remediation suggestions were offered for each of five key predictive variables: hearing status of the parents, educational level of the parents, age of intervention, sex of child, and presence of siblings. Conclusions stressed the need for attention to family functioning. (CL)