Symbol-infused joint attention and language use in mothers with deaf and hearing toddlers

Elaine Gale1, Brenda Schick

  • 1Department of Special Education, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, USA.

Mother-child interactions in 2-year-old deaf toddlers with deaf parents, deaf toddlers with hearing parents, and hearing toddlers with hearing parents were explored. Fifteen dyads were videotaped in free play and symbol-infused joint attention tasks. Dyads with hearing parents displayed similar responsiveness/directiveness patterns and spent similar amounts of time in symbol-infused joint attention regardless of child hearing status. Deaf toddlers with hearing mothers, however, produced significantly fewer different words and spent less time in sustained interactions than hearing toddlers. Compared with hearing mothers with deaf toddlers, deaf mothers tended to be more responsive to their toddler's attention focus, an aspect of maternal responsiveness significantly related to the frequency of sustained interaction. Deaf toddlers with deaf mothers spent significantly less time in symbol-infused joint attention, possibly because of deaf toddlers' need to divide visual attention between looking at objects and attending to their mother's language.

Related Concept Videos

Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
Learning Disabilities01:25

Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Non-Verbal Cues01:29

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Channels of Non-Verbal Communication01:28

Channels of Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication plays a critical role in human interaction, influencing how individuals perceive emotions and psychological states. It operates through four primary channels: facial expressions, eye contact, body language, and touch. These non-verbal cues help convey meaning beyond spoken language and are often culturally influenced.Facial Expressions and Emotional RecognitionFacial expressions are among the most powerful and universal forms of non-verbal communication. Research has...