ABSTRACT
The deaf children use their gestures in the same way that hearing children use their words—to make requests and to make comments, not only about the here-and-now, but also about objects and events that are not in the room. In addition to these rather obvious uses for language, the children use their gestures for some of language’s more subtle uses—to make generic statements, to tells stories, to talk to themselves, and even to comment on their own and others’ gestures.
