The importance of the language for the visual impairment children is unquestionable because it is a way to promote their social interaction. Besides, it is fundamental in the mediation of the learning process. In this context, the objective of this study was to compare the pragmatic performance of the language between blind children, with low vision capacity and children with normal vision and, therefore, to analyze the particularities of the maternal communication during the interaction within free and planned contexts. Six children participated in the study: two blind; two with low vision capacity and; two with normal vision, who were selected from specific criteria. Two recordings of each were carried out in the familiar environment: free and planned situations. The analysis was performed by means of functional characterization of the verbal and non-verbal communication of the children with their mothers. The data showed that the verbal communicative resources were predominant in both free and planned situations. Overall, the results of this study indicate that although there were particularities during its use, the language of the visual impairment children does not present deficit in relation to the one of those with normal vision. Moreover, the mothers of the blind children and with low vision capacity used strategies such as descriptions of the environment, indications and localization of objects during their interactions that favored their performance.
blindness; low vision; language development; mother-children interaction; special needs
