Correspondence should be sent to Gerrit Loots, Vrije Universiteit

This article presents the results of a study comparing deaf and hearing parents in the use of visual-tactile communication strategies during interaction with their hearing-impaired chil-dren between 18 and 24 months of age. The study includes 17 deaf and hard-of-hearing children and 33 parents, covering hearing mothers (n = 12), hearing fathers (n = 11), deaf moth-ers (n = 5), and deaf fathers (n = 5). The four groups of par-ents are compared in the use of visual-tactile communication strategies during free play with their children. Overall results show that deaf mothers and deaf fathers differ significantly from hearing parents in the use of a visual communication style adapted to the developmental communication needs and abilities related to the 18- to 24-month age period. The study pays special attention to differences in visual-tactile commu-nication strategies according to hearing status, gender, use of languages, and communication modes. The age period of 18 to 24 months is considered a mile-stone in communication development and language acquisition. Prior to this age, infants are able to share objects and events in the immediate environment with their caregivers. And they start learning to share and to use linguistic symbols in these sites of joint attentio