From communication to speech in deaf children

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study of 12 severely and profoundly deaf children aged between 3;6 and 5. Interactions between the children and their teacher in one-to-one 'conversation' sessions 'were filmed at 3-monthly intervals over a period of approximately 18 months. Analyses of these recordings led to the identification of five stages that children pass through in making the transition from pre-verbal communication to the beginnings of conversational competence. The nature of these stages and the implications both for the education of young deaf children and for theories of early language development are explored.