title: The development of communication in blind and in deaf infants--similarities and differences.
abstract: Results from two longitudinal studies of blind infant--sighted mother and of deaf infant-hearing mother/deaf mother interaction, are summarized in this paper. The aim is to shed light on the role of visual and auditory stimulation in the development of communication. Video-recorded interactions taken during infancy were transcribed in a systematic, objective and detailed way. The development of communication is described with a focus on pre-verbal abilities, exploration of toys, social and symbolic play, communicative intent and sharing of experiences. The results show a delay in the development of communication in the blind infants compared with the deaf infants, indicating a more critical role of visual stimulation compared with auditory stimulation during the infancy period to this development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Preisler
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009048:Motor Skills; D010553:Personality Development; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012813:Sign Language; D012931:Social Environment