Influence of social partner on interactions of toddlers with disabilities: comparison of interactions with mothers and familiar playmates.

The social exchanges of young children with developmental disabilities over time with two different social partners and the nature of these exchanges were compared. Thirty-three toddlers with developmental disabilities were video-taped for 15 minutes with each partner at two different data points. Data were transcribed and coded using a modification of Vandell and Wilson's (1979) coding system. Results showed that more of the observation time was spent socially with mothers than with peers, and the number of turns per exchange was longer with mothers. In contrast, toddlers initiated more social exchanges with peers than with mothers. There were similarities in the content of the social exchanges with both partners. There were few changes over time, although exchanges consisted of more purely social behaviors at Time 2. Results were interpreted with respect to implications for early intervention.