title: The association between language and symbolic play at two years: evidence from deaf toddlers.
abstract: The association between expressive language and symbolic play was investigated in 3 groups of 2-year-olds: deaf children with hearing parents (dH), deaf children with deaf parents (dD), and hearing children with hearing parents (hH). (Each group included 6 girls and 4 boys.) 3 language-level groups were defined. The highest group was well into the vocabulary "explosion" and frequently produced multiword/sign utterances; a middle group was beginning the period of vocabulary expansion and occasionally produced utterances of more than 1 word/sign; a third group produced single word/sign utterances only, and had a limited vocabulary. Hearing status was associated with duration of symbolic play (deaf > hearing). Higher language levels were associated with more canonically sequenced and preplanned play, even when language delays were due to exogenous factors.
authors.affiliation: Gallaudet University, Washington, DC 20002, USA.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012813:Sign Language; D013561:Symbolism; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014825:Vocabulary