Let's Talk: The Effect of Maternal Hearing Status on Interactions with Toddlers Who Are Deaf

Eight dyads comprised of deaf toddlers and their deaf mothers (D-D dyads) and eight dyads in which only the toddlers were deaf (D-H dyads) were compared on the use and success of various means for establishing mutual attention for communication. Three different sequences of invitation and response resulting in mutual attention for communication were examined. Results indicated that for two of the types of invitation, the D-D dyads experienced significantly more episodes of mutual attention, not only because the deaf mothers were more active, but also because their deaf toddlers were more responsive. The relevance of these differences for development and for communication was explored, and implications were discussed for early intervention with D-H dyads.