American Sign Language (ASL) in Speech Language Therapy
Throughout the course of my career, I have specialized in working with the d/Deaf and hard of hearing population. I get asked many questions as it relates to American Sign Language (ASL). Did you know that more than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents? If you are the parent of a deaf child, this all may be very new to you! We are here to help support you through the learning and education to support your child’s successes in communication.
I often get asked: “Will using ASL prevent my child from speaking?”
I think this is an important discussion early on in your child’s journey. First, we want to understand the differences between speech and language. Language is the system. It is understanding and expressing the meaning of words, answering/asking questions, the grammar, following directions, inferencing, etc. Speech is how we produce the sounds and words. We need to have a strong language base in order to use our speech. American Sign Language is a full language- it has its own grammar rules just like English. While you may be exposing your child to spoken English, they have a hearing loss and may not have FULL access to that language. ASL can actually help facilitate spoken language. A child that has early FULL access to a visual language is able to develop typical language acquisition milestones for a bilingual ASL-English approach. Check out this recent research article that dives into this!
Your child’s speech/language therapy journey may include just that- speech AND language. While amplification (hearing aids/cochlear implants) can help a child to better be able to detect and distinguish sounds in their environment and in speech; they must develop auditory skills along with language. This means a solid language foundation is vital in order to connect meaning to the words that a child is working to hear and understand.
Parents/guardians- do not be overwhelmed! This is why a team of professionals is here to support you! I am going to share some great resources (local and not) but please reach out to your team and ask questions.
informational resources, parent webinars, handouts, ASL class resources
resources related to your child’s education
early intervention for families birth to 5 of children with hearing loss
pediatric audiological services that travel to you!