[Prevalence and diagnostic value of so-called neurologic soft signs in a larger sample of severely hearing impaired 10 to 13-year-old children].

262 severely hard-off hearing and deaf 10-13 years old children were screened by a short, standardised neurological examination consisting of 7 items. The results showed a high rate of socalled soft signs especially in form of associated movements. It seemed remarkable that the rate of soft signs did not diminish over the age range examined. Statistical relations of these results to other variables of the whole study (gross motor coordination, hyperkinetic behaviour, global psychiatric ratings) support the hypothesis that soft signs are predictors of psychiatric morbidity in general.