title: Comparative analysis of parent-child interactions with language-disordered and linguistically normal children.
abstract: Audio-recordings were made in the home environment of 20 parent-child dyads. Each parent and child participated in a 15-min structured and a 15-min free-play period of interaction. Language samples were analyzed in three areas: frequency components, sentence types, and pragmatic discourse features. Significant differences were found between the linguistic interactions of parents with a language-disordered child and parents with a linguistically normal child in all areas studied. Few differences were found between mothers and fathers within each group. The conclusion is drawn that language-disordered children may live in a different type of linguistic environment which could function to maintain the underlying language problem.
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010988:Play and Playthings; D013663:Teaching