ABSTRACT
Deafness per se cannot be held responsible for the children’s suboptimal development as deaf children of deaf parents demonstrate few of the communication problems and developmental delays observed in deaf children of hearing parents (Ackerman & Woll, 1990; Bellugi & Klima, 1985; Bonvillian, Orlansky, & Novak, 1983; Volterra, 1983). It therefore seems logical to compare the experiences of deaf children of deaf parents to deaf children of hearing parents in order to identify factors that may prevent the adverse developmental outcomes that have plagued the lives of so many deaf children.
