INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MOTHERS AND CHILDREN WHO ARE DEAF

Research examining interactions between mothers and children with hear ing loss was reviewed from a dialectical perspective. Although dyads w ith shared hearing status (i.e., in which mother and child are both de af or both hearing) use many similar and effective strategies for init iating and maintaining interactions, dyads of hearing mothers and chil dren who are deaf are often characterized by asynchrony, excessive mat ernal control, and child dependence. A variety of strategies was ident ified by which deaf mothers accommodate their children's need for visu al language input. II is proposed that an intervention approach emphas izing these strategies is more effective than focusing on the shortcom ings of children with hearing loss. Several strategies aimed at promot ing child participation and language development are suggested.