| Little is known about the peer entry skills of preschoolers who are Deaf orHard of Hearing (DHH) when they are playing with other same-aged, familiar peers who are also DHH. Itis also unknown how these interactions and skills differ from those of children who are NH when they are playing with other same-aged, familiar peers. This study compared the initiations, modalities, and success of children who are DHH with children who are normal hearing (NH) during choice time group play at their respective preschoolsfor two fifteen-minute sessions.DHH children are no less successful at entering into play with their same-aged familiar peers with the same hearing status as NH children, although differences in the use of initiation strategies and modalities were identified,Key words: deaf, hard-of-hearing, peer entry, preschool, pragmatic languageassessment, social communication, play, |