The first purpose of the study was to develop a methodology for observing young children at play in their classroom situations without access to sound. The second purpose was to use data collected under equivalent conditions and methodologies to compare the play behaviors of young deaf children to the play behaviors of their hearing counterparts. Five profoundly deaf orally trained children, 3 to 5-1/2 years old, and five hearing children participated. The procedure involved collecting taped descriptions of observed play behaviors exhibited by the Ss during their free play. The taped descriptions were then coded at 1 minute intervals with respect to frequencies in each category of social play, socio-dramatic play and organization of play behaviors. The analysis involved examination of the frequency data in terms of differences in play styles and play development across ages 3, 4, and 5 years and between the two groups of subjects--deaf and hearing. A chi-square analysis was done for each category of play between the deaf and hearing groups. The results indicate that the methodology developed in this study was both consistent and objective. The results of the comparison of play behaviors between the deaf and hearing subjects suggests that the difference is quantitative rather than qualitative. The difference between the two groups was neither within the sequence nor rate of play development, but rather within the number of behaviors observed in each category of play. Among implications noted were the restrictions of profound deafness on verbal language, environment, experience, and education. The study also suggests that play is reflective of and is an index to cognitive development. (Author/CL)