Professionals
- What is ASL?
In 1960, Dr. Bill Stokoe published an important study showing that the visual language of American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that has all the features of other natural spoken languages such as phonology, semantics, morphology, pragmatics and syntax. More recently, psycholinguists and Early Childhood specialists have discovered that ASL can be used with hearing babies, deaf babies, children with autism, Down Syndrome as well as other and babies/toddlers/children with special needs to facilitate the development of language.
When deaf babies/toddlers/children are exposed to sign language from native deaf signers or fluent hearing signers, they are able to acquire all the complex linguistic forms of ASL. Often times, the deaf child will mix sign language and spoken language and produce a bimodal language utterance. This is typical bilingual development; however we recommend that adults keep the languages separate and use either ASL or spoken English with the child. There are many forms of signing systems that mix the English vocabulary and grammar with sign language. These manual codes are not languages but are invented systems used to teach English. For more information regarding National Association of the Deaf’s ASL position, visit the website, www.NAD.org.
- What are the benefits of ASL/English bimodal bilingual education?
ASL enhances the deaf babies’ cognitive, social-emotional and language development. It can lead to early developmental bimodal bilingualism and can even assist the deaf baby/toddler in developing emerging literacy skills such as attention to cognitively rich discourse in storytelling, print awareness, sight word vocabularies and concept development. Bimodal means development and use of language in more than one modality (spoken and signed are the “modes” to which “bimodal” refers).
- Why is it important for deaf/hard of hearing children interact with other deaf/hard of hearing peers (i.e. play groups)?
Deaf children experience and acquire language through peer interaction. Peer interaction helps the child to develop their identity as a deaf/hard of hearing individual, promotes play, creativity, communication , problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and social-emotional development.
- Will ASL interfere with oral and aural development?
There is no research that shows that sign language interferes with oral language development. Hearing babies use gestures before they begin to use spoken language. . Similarly, deaf babies use gestures and then meaningful signs which can then support their development of spoken language.
Medical Professionals
- How can I as a medical professional* consult families with deaf/hard of hearing children?
Medical professionals such as doctors and nurses, pediatric audiologists, speech language professionals, and early communication interventionists have a professional responsibility to introduce and expose parents of deaf babies to all language and communication options, including the option of an ASL/English bimodal bilingual approach. An ASL/English bimodal bilingual approach to language development is beneficial to providing early language and communication foundations in both visual and auditory modalities for deaf and hard of hearing children. The goal of this approach is for the deaf child to develop language skills through vision (ASL) and through audition (spoken English) and have the ability to function in both Deaf and hearing communities.
