Previous analyses show that deaf mothers support their deaf children in order to providethe child with full access to the visual-oriented world. They do this by incorporatingVisual Communication Strategies (VCS), which facilitate the access to Flemish SignLanguage and the potential immediate acquisition of language. In contrast, hearingparents encounter more difficulties when creating a linguistically stimulating environment.The research reported on in this paper combines a longitudinal and cross-sectionalapproach, focussing on the use of visual environment created by deaf and hearing parents.Our study shows a striking difference between the visual environment created by deaf andhearing parents. With respect to the visual communication approaches chosen by the deafparents, deaf parents may act as role models for hearing parents.
