The cognitive development of children with special needs can be affected by inadequate maternal mediation patterns, due to the mother's low expectations of her child's cognitive performance, which are affected by her inadequate comprehension of her child's actual learning limitations and possibilities. Thus, it is essential to asses the mother's mediation patterns using instruments that will result in indicators enabling the analysis of mediation occurring during mother child interaction. Toward this aim, the Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) Rate Scale, elaborated by Carol Lidz in 1991, based on the Mediated Learning Experience Theory was adapted and applied. This instrument assesses adult-child interaction, focusing on the adult's mediation behaviors. These behaviors can promote the building of higher expectations as well as a more appropriate mediation pattern of interaction. After translating the MLE Scale into Portuguese, 36 behavioral categories were created to analyze the mother mediation pattern in 4 levels for each of the 12 components of the MLE Scale: intentionality, meaning, transcendence, joint regard, sharing of experiences, task regulation, encouragement, challenge, psychological differentiation, contingent responsiveness, affective involvement. This adapted version was applied to 12 mother-visually impairment children (5-9 years of age) dyads; 3 domino games sessions with increasing levels of difficulty were videotaped. The results showed that the adaptation of MLE Scale was useful in the quantitative and qualitative analysis the adult-child interactions in semi-structured learning situations, corroborated by an acceptable agreement rate (77.2%).
mother-child interaction; mediation assessment; mediated experience learning (mle) rate scale; visually impaired children; cognitive development; special education
