Communication Between Deaf Children and Their Hearing Mothers

Abstract

In the present longitudinal study, 20 deaf and 20 hearing children were observed during free play with their hearing mothers when the children were 22 months and 3 years of age. Compared to hearing children, deaf children were severely language delayed, with deaf 3-year-olds using less language (speech or sign) than hearing 22-month-olds. Deaf children communicated primarily through nonlinguistic vocalizations, with increasing use of gesture from 22 months to 3 years of age. Although mothers of deaf children used more visual communication than mothers of hearing children, they still primarily communicated through speech. In addition, deaf children did not visually attend to much of their mothers' communication. Therefore, deaf children received much less communication than hearing children. These results suggest that intervention efforts should be focused on increasing the quantity of perceived linguistic input by the child.

Child visual discourse: The use of language, gestures, and vocalizations by deaf preschoolers1

“…The results suggest that the use of signs with deaf children does not prevent them from developing speech. This supports other research findings, which showed that early experience with sign language might be expected to have positive effects on spoken language development, regardless of hearing status (Schlesinger & Meadow, 1972;Gardner & Zorfass, 1983;Lederberg & Everhart, 1998;van den Bogaerde &Baker, 2001). Moreover, if deaf parents are bilingual they can help their deaf children develop communicative competence in both the sign language and the Polish language.…”

The language development of a deaf child with a cochlear implant

“…These aspirations had their effect on the study of child development within the field of Deaf Studies. Whereas research before the era of CI was mainly concerned with interaction and successful communication (Meadow, 1981;Wedell-Monnig & Lumley, 1980;Lederberg & Mobley, 1990;Koester, 1995;Lederberg & Everhart, 1998;Harris & Mohay, 1997; for a review see Meadow-Orlans, 1997), after the turn of the millennium investigators became primarily interested in describing and detailing the development of spoken language as a function of improved auditory perception (Niparko et al, 2010;Nicholas & Geers, 2007;Nikolopoulos et al, 2004;Svirsky, Teoh et al, 2004;Svirsky, Robbins et al, 2000;Geers, 2003Geers, , 2004Geers, , 2006; for a review see Vlastarakos et al, 2010). More recently still, attention has been focussed on the effect of age of implantation on speech intelligibility and auditory perception (e.g.…”

Beginnings of song in young deaf children using cochlear implants: the song they move, the song they feel, the song they share

“…Deaf children have extensive difficulties with the reproduction of language in general (Lederberg and Everhart 1998). The use of CIs at younger ages has improved the amount of vocalisation and language acquired (Ertmer and Mellon 2001;Hammes et al 2000).…”