The effect of partner hearing status on social and cognitive play

We observed the social/cognitive play of 46 young children who were deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The children were videotaped during play in small integrated groups consisting of D/HH and hearing children. Younger children engaged in more constructive play than dramatic play, whereas older children engaged in more dramatic play than functional play. With D/HH partners, children engaged primarily in constructive play, but in groups that included both D/HH and hearing partners they engaged most frequently in dramatic play. The findings indicate that the frequency of cognitive and social play of children who are D/HH is similar to that of hearing children, and that group play varies according to the hearing status of the play partner.