Language acquisition and the compensation of visual deficit: New comparative data on a controversial topic

Author(s): Castro, J.

Journal/Book: Brit J Develop Psychol. 1997; 15: St Andrews House, 48 Princess Rd East, Leicester, Leics, England LE1 7DR. British Psychological Soc. 439-459.

Abstract: Some researchers have maintained that blind children show an important delay in their language development, and that blind children's language is 'aberrant' or special in certain aspects, including the use of personal pronouns, repetitions, formulas, and unanalysed speech. Consequently, it has been claimed that blind children are less active processors of language than sighted children, and that they rely on rote learning, which determines some of the characteristic features of their language. Data are presented which run counter to this view. These come from a longitudinal study of a blind child and her sighted twin sister. The study began when the children were 2:5 years old and spanned nearly three years. Mean length of utterances, over-regularizations, pronoun errors, pragmatic speech functions, and imitations, repetitions and routines (IRR) were analysed. The results clearly show that the language of the blind child is neither delayed, nor aberrant. Evidence is shown that IRR form part of a mechanism of language analysis, which is specially used by the blind girl, who seems to manifest a Gestalt style of language learning.

Note: Article PerezPereira M, Univ Santiago, Fac Psicol, Dept Psicol Evolut & Educ, Santiago Composte 15705, SPAIN

Keyword(s): BLIND-CHILDREN

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