The Importance of Signed Languages for Deaf Children and Their Families
Temas
Detalles
For most infants identified with hearing loss, the primary developmental concern becomes language development and the corresponding domains that rely on timely language acquisition, such as cognition and socioemotional development. These concerns arise because most families do not know a signed language, and hearing technology doesn't offer a cure, creating a communication mismatch at home for many deaf children. Attempts to resolve this mismatch are typically child-centered through the use of technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, and often without taking advantage of the visual modality by incorporating the learning of a signed language (best estimates suggest less than 10 percent of deaf children in the United States and two percent worldwide receive early signed language exposure).1,2 Evidence suggests that relying solely on spoken language acquisition via hearing loss technology increases the risk of deaf children experiencing poor language acquisition and the associated developmental consequences.