The impact of input: Language acquisition in the visually impaired
Department
Occupational Therapy
Abstract
Variation in language development between blind and sighted children may result from a diminution of experience or differences in linguistic input, or it may be a product of other factors. Researchers argue about the relative weighting of these. We examine this argument by reviewing data and findings from our studies of blind children's language and we evaluate the possible impact of input, both environmental and linguistic. We show that variation cannot be uniquely attributed to either of these, but find evidence that experiential input may influence some areas while linguistic input more strongly affects others. Moreover, there is a complex interaction between these. We also find independent adaptive strategies by the children, pointing to a plasticity in the acquisition process itself. © 1993, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-1993
Publication Title
First Language
ISSN
0142-7237
Volume
13
Issue
37
DOI
10.1177/014272379301303703
First Page
23
Last Page
49
Recommended Citation
Andersen, Elaine S.; Dunlea, Anne; and Kekelis, Linda, "The impact of input: Language acquisition in the visually impaired" (1993). All Faculty Scholarship. 23.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/shs-all/23
