Maternal Responsivity Mediates the Relationship Between Prelinguistic Intentional Communication and Later Language

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Intentional communication may be related to later language development, in part, because intentional communication is a relatively clear communicative cue, which may elicit language-facilitating maternal responses. As a first step in testing this model, this study was conducted to determine whether the relationship between early intentional communication and later language is in part due to covariation with maternal responsivity. The participants were 58 children with developmental disabilities in the prelinguistic period of development and their mothers. Children's intentional prelinguistic communication, mothers' responses, and children's language were measured at entry into the study, 6 months later, and 12 months later, respectively. The results support the model that the relationship between intentional communication and later language was, in part, due to the covarying relationship with maternal responsivity. Implications for future research are discussed.

This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit: