• The aim of this thesis was to study the communicative and social development of twelve hard of hearing children, between the ages of two and seven. The children were observed by videorecordings, during a two year period in natural settings in three different sign language preschools, where sign language and spoken Swedish was exposed to the children at a varying extent. The theoretical basis of this thesis is found in modem child development research emphasising the significance of early close relationships with adults and peers. In order to give a description of the cultural context, interviews were made with parents and staffmembers. A descriptive qualitative analysis of the non-verbal and verbal communication between the children and the staff-members was conducted in order to focus on patterns of interaction within the group of hard of hearing children and between hard of hearing and deaf children, as well as between the children and the staff-members. From the analysis, five different patterns of interaction emerged and will be presented as five case studies at an individual and at a group level. These two perspectives were necessary in order to understand the way the hard of hearing children communicated in different contexts. The adults attitudes towards play and language, manifested by the way in which they acted towards the children played a central part to the outcome of peer-peer and adult-child interactions. The research findings indicated that a multitude of circumstances influenced the development of communicative skills of the children. The use of a language that enabled them to understand and to be understood, a supportive communicative style of the adults, where focus was on the content and the quality of the interaction in combination with a positive attitude towards fantasy and role play seemed to promote the children’s well-being and communicative and social development, more than an adult-centred and directive communicative style where the two languages per se were in focus.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

hard of hearing children

interaction

communication

development

sign language

descriptive qualitative analysis

video-recorded observation

Psychology

Psykologi

psykologi

Psychology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

dok (ämneskategori)