Developing a concept of self and other: Risk and protective factors

Abstract

There is very little research that has been done with deaf children, specifically with the concept of resilience in mind. There are, however, data on a number of developmental factors that can be examined for the roles they play as protective factors and in providing deaf children with the skills necessary to adapt to and cope with a complex and demanding world. In particular, we argue that developing a strong sense of self and an accurate and objective understanding of other people, rooted in a caring and secure parent-child attachment, provides a foundation for deaf children to thrive. We also review the challenges for deaf children in developing the skills to understand others and feel positively about one self, including delayed language acquisition, concluding that the relationship context is most crucial. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.