Early communication in dyads with visual impairment

Abstract

The ability of dyads with restricted access to the visual channel of communication to establish a reliable pre-linguistic communicative signalling system has traditionally been viewed as problematic. Such a conclusion is due in part to the emphasis that has been placed on vision as central to communication by traditional theory. The data presented in this paper question these assertions. The results of a longitudinal study exploring the nature of early dyadic interactions in dyads with visual impairment are presented. The dyads' use of three types of non-visual behaviour}touch, vocalizations and facial orientation}were investigated in terms of their potential as alternatives to visual communication. It is argued that the results are evidence that visually impaired dyads engage in sophisticated communicative exchanges prior to infants' acquisition of language.

Development of the Communication Complexity Scale

“…Rattray and Zeedyk (2005) found that mothers and infants with visual impairments relied on touch, vocalizations and facial orientation to convey object interest and shared focus of attention. A scale that includes a broader spectrum of communicative prelinguistic signals to judge orientation to objects, people, or between objects and people would be valuable.…”

“…Accurate description of attainment of presymbolic levels can reveal if an individual is progressing along the expected continuum of development, or in some cases, whether patterns of performance are being demonstrated that might reflect particular disorders. For example, deaf-blind children may demonstrate interest in objects and events through focused attention, but may have difficulty demonstrating shared interest with another person through conventional means such as eye gaze and pointing (Bigelow, 2003; Rattray & Zeedyk, 2005). …”

Development and Learning of Young Children with Disabilities

“…However, research practices and childcare practices both stem from the same cultural-historical setting and thus caregivers of children with impairments in vision, motor functions or other types of impairment might show similar bias towards conventional communicative signals and patterns that are difficult or unachievable for their child. For example, the findings of a universal delay in the development of social interaction abilities in infants with visual impairment can be reinterpreted as an expression of a cultural bias towards considering vision as the primary mode of communication in activity settings, in theories and in research methods (Rattray and Zeedyk 2005).…”

“…Otherwise, the difficulties and delays in development of joint attention might become real in the sense that they affect the child's ability to participate in everyday social practices now and in the time to come. The sharing of subjective states and later the sharing of focus of attention can be established by touch, by the mutual handling of an object or by vocalisation means in infants with visual impairment (Rattray and Zeedyk 2005;Janssen and Rødbroe 2007).…”

Measuring Early Communication in Spanish Speaking Children: The Communication Complexity Scale in Peru

“…Patterns can be noticed for specific populations before they would otherwise be observable. For example, studies have shown that deaf-blind children have difficulties showing interest in events and objects via conventional means such as eye gaze or pointing; however, they may communicate interest in other ways, such as with body orientations or physical manipulations (7–9). …”