The maternal language environment of children with language delay

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Abstract
This paper presents potentially interesting data derived by chance while conducting a much larger study of families of children with global delay. The data relate to a comparison of aspects of the maternal language environment of working‐class children with and without language delay, and to the mothers' perceptions of their children. In free play, mothers of children with language delay were found to talk less and to use proportionally more commands. However, these differences disappeared in an instruction situation. These findings were considered in relation to the fact that mothers of the delayed children construed their children in a somewhat more negative way. Although it was not possible to draw causal inferences, the results were discussed in relation to the implications for the subsequent development of the child and intervention strategies generally.