TASK-RELATED VARIATION IN COMMUNICATION OF MOTHERS AND THEIR SONS WITH LEARNING-DISABILITY

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether mother-child c ommunication patterns vary as a function of the type of the task. Grou ps of learning disabled (LD=30) and normally achieving boys (NLD=30) w ere videotaped interacting with their mothers in two different tasks. The children were matched for age (8 to 11 year-olds) and for parent's SES. The results indicated that the teaching task differentiated the groups more than did the story task. Academic character of the teachin g task increased mothers' task involvement in both groups. Mothers of the LD group showed, however, significantly more dominance and express ed less emotionality while teaching their child. Mothers' interaction partly followed from their children's behaviour on this task. The chil dren with LD did not cooperate with their mothers and were not emotion ally involved in the teaching task as highly as were the normally achi eving children. Corresponding features of interaction were not found f or the LD group in the story task. Consistency of children's communica tion across the tasks was significant in the LD group. The normally ac hieving boys were more responsive to changes in task conditions showin g different behavior as a function of task.