La funzione comunicativa del gesto di indicare: un confronto tra bambini Parlatori Tardivi e bambini nella norma

In this research communicative pointing is observed in Late and Average Talkers. Results show that, at 20 months of age, the two groups exhibited a different frequency of declarative pointing, specially when pointing is used to propose joint attention to mother (“propositive pointing”), while there aren’t difference when gesture is used to reply to mother’s questions (“responsive pointing”). Results could be interpreted as a deficit for Late Talkers to engage joint attention format with mothers in a developmental phase in what, usually, vocabulary explosion occurs, and could be helpful in a rehabilitation therapy.