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Abstract:
Abstract: Most studies with deaf subjects have dealt
separately with the effects of brain lateralization and perceptual
motor deficiencies. Lateralization patterns have been usually
studied using asymmetry tasks with linguistic and nonlinguistic
stimuli. Though the hearing impaired have been found to be
deficient or delayed in perceptual motor tasks, little has been
done to know the relationship if any between their language and
motor performance. In the present study an attempt is made to
bridge the gap between the linguistic and nonlinguistic findings in
order to know the role of language in the motor performance of the
auditorily impaired. 80 hearing impaired (acuity of 60 db) and 80
normal children between the ages of 6 and 13 year were tested in
three phases; perceptual motor tasks, linguistic tasks and a third
that tested for laterality and its relation to social factors.
ANOVA indicated that the hearing impaired are delayed on all the
perceptual motor tasks, language development and in their hand use
and signs used to depict language. Though the groups do not differ
in their hand preferences, the lateralization of the two groups for
visual,tactile and linguistic tasks differ. Further, ANOVA
indicated that certain social factors such as type of parenting,
school and play influence the motor repertoire of the hearing
impaired. Thus the neurodevelopmental profiles of the two groups
are different.
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