SummaryFive children who presented at audiology clinics as being unresponsive to sound, but whose responses to testing suggested auditory imperception rather than peripheral deafness, are studied developmentally. Auditory behaviour is looked at in detail and some reference made to the educational implications of this disorder. It is concluded that, since they did not learn to comprehend language through auditory perceptual training methods, other language teaching modes may have to be considered with such children.