The impact of input: language acquisition in the visually impaired

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.

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