Development of Communication in Deafblind Children

The aim of this study was to describe the development of communication between deafblind children and their parents in real-life settings using video registrations. Longitudinal case studies of six children suffering from severe visual impairment in combination with profound hearing impairment are presented. Four of the six children also have additional functional disabilities affecting their motor and cognitive development. At the time of the first video-recording the children were between 6 months and 3 years 9 months of age. They were observed for a period of 2 years. Detailed analyses of the video-recordings showed that all of the children could communicate with their parents and the parents with their child. Even if the expressions varied and were sometimes difficult to interpret, the early development of communication followed the same patterns as that for non-disabled children, from interest in social games with the carer to interest in the physical environment and thereafter an intent to share their experiences with another person.