The World of Deaf Infants

Kathryn P. Meadow-Orlans's research with deaf children and their families spans almost 40 years. A sociologist by training, her early work helped to spark the shift from "oral-only" deaf education to the acceptance of sign language. She is the author of numerous books and articles about deafness and child development. Patricia Elizabeth Spencer has been a classroom teacher, educational diagnostician, clinic administrator, researcher, and university professor. Her research has focused on processes and effects of early communication experiences. Currently Professor of Social Work at Gallaudet University, she teaches research and evaluation courses to deaf and hearing graduate students. Lynne Sanford Koester's research with deaf infants followed extensive training with Prof. Hanu Papouek in Germany, where she assisted in developing microanalytic coding systems for studies of intuitive parenting behaviors. She has recently completed a scientific biography of Papouek's life during the Cold War.

This book is essential reading for any professional working with deaf infants and children . . . The World of Deaf Infants is an exciting and accessible text and perhaps the most important study of deaf infants, their parenting and their development to date. The overriding message in this book is that the delays and disruptions seen in deaf children are avoidable where parenting is adaptive and sensitive, where a visually rich language model is available and early interaction experiences meet the needs of a child with visual communication.

• 1. Introduction ; 2. Theoretical rationale for the longitudinal study ; 3. Participant characteristics and research procedures ; 4. Mother-infant behaviours at 6 and 9 months: a microanalytic view ; 5. Interactions of hearing mothers and 9-month-old infants: temperament and infant stress ; 6. Hearing parents' reactions to the identification of deafness and cognitive or motor disabilities ; 7. Mastery motivation at 9 and 12 months: traditional and non-traditional approaches ; 8. Mother-infant interactions at 12 and 18 months: parenting stress and support ; 9. Attachment behaviours at 18 months ; 10. Language at 12 and 18 months: characteristics and accessibility of linguistic models ; 11. Visual attention: maturation and specialization ; 12. The development of play: effects of hearing status, language, and maternal responsiveness ; 13. Relationships across developmental domains and over time ; 14. Implications for intervention with infants and families