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Language Acquisition by Deaf Children

Role of The Environment

Deaf Children Born to Deaf Parents

(I expanded under this heading) Language development in Deaf children born to Deaf parents (DoDP) who acquire sign language parallels early spoken language development in typical hearing children. Deaf children produce baby babble and mistakes like a hearing child would. DoDP mistakenly produces the sign for mother with the misuse of handshape, similar to how a hearing child might mispronounce a word. DoDP have higher average lexical size than hearing children before the age of 18 months. Although, hearing children catch up at around 24 months. DoDP have a sudden increase in learning new vocabulary at 16 to 19 months of age, when their lexicons reach about 50 signs. Compared to hearing children, DoDP learn proportionally more action, adverb, and personal social words. Development of pointing, that occurs in typical developing children, becomes beneficial and advantageous to DoDP because this gesture soon becomes part of their linguistic system in Sign Language. Around 17 to 20 months pointing takes on the role of pronouns in Sign Language. Signs appear slightly earlier in DoDP, than vocal words in hearing children, suggesting earlier communication development with acquisition of Sign Language.

Literacy development for DoDP is closely related to loan signs and fingerspelling in American Sign Language (ASL). Fingerspelling is an equalvilant representation to the manual English alphabet, in signs. Loan signs are clusters of common affixes or spelt words that are signed fast enough that they become a sign in itself, such as –tion or - ness. Fingerspelling and loan signs in ASL help replace the auditory phonological input that DoDP lack. Strong correlation between fingerspelling skills and English reading vocabulary have been found for DoDP.

Deaf Children Born to Hearing Parents[edit]

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Deaf children born to hearing parents (DoHP) usually have restricted or late onset exposure to Sign Language. They are highly likely to miss the critical period for acquisition of a first language and late exposure can results in severe language-delayed. However, the critical period seems to only affect first language because adults who lost their hearing in late childhood become fluent in Sign Language as their second language.

Simultaneous Communication

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Simultaneous Communication (SimCom) is the use of both signing language and spoken language at the same time. Sign language and spoken languages have different grammar and syntax so when SimCom is used, the grammar, syntax and word order of the spoken language is used in the signing. SimCom can cause Sign Language's grammar and syntax to disappear. In the United States, SimCom environments have decreased by 15% since 2008. Deaf children learning through the SimCom Model have severely low vocabulary development compared to DoDP and hearing children. SimCom is commonly used for oral-environments with Deaf children with hearing aids or cochlear implants. The use of speech when signing helps Deaf children become exposed to the auditory cues in the semantics and syntax of the spoken language, but still have visual support. SimCom not only causes vocabulary and cognitive development delays, but also causes controversy about Deaf Culture. DoHP usually have SimCom input, at the beginning stages of their lives, and as they get older and the model then turns into just spoken language. Hearing parents usually do not supply sufficient signing input for optimal language development for their Deaf children. Although, SimCom does provide better vocabulary development then Deaf children who are only exposed to spoken language.

Memory

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Working memory is a important area in children's memory process for learning. Deaf children are better at attending to and processing information in their peripheral vision than hearing peers due to their visual communication. Distractions from heightened peripheral vision can be problematic because attention can be hindered when placed in a classroom setting, especially if focused attention on a teacher or interpreter is required. Deaf children are found to equal hearing children in free recall (recalling a list in any other) memory skill. However, in visuospatial recall (items presented in a visual array) Deaf children perform better. Hearing children perform better when items are shown and then disappeared before the next item appears (are in movement). Deaf children seem to perform best when information is presented in still visuospatial format. This could be an important aspect in relaying information when concerning Deaf education. Deaf children may have trouble developing working memory when informational load is too overwhelming. Suggestion of rehearsing and performing nursery rhymes, can improve Deaf children's sequential working memory skills and language processing skills.

TellaTouch

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The TellaTouch is a communicational device that aids Deafblind people to communicate with one another. It was developed by the American Foundation for the Blind research laboratory. In the mid 1940s, it was a major aid for the Deafblind community and removed many Deafblind adults and children out of isolation. Now, tactile sign language is a more efficient way of Deafblind communication. TellaTouch has a full QWERTY keyboard, a full Braille keyboard with a 6 single dot mechanical cell. The participant receiving the information must know braille. They place their fingers on the single dot mechanical cells which raise up, whilst the participant relaying the information types. The TellaTouch is a light-weighted, nine by two and half by nine inch box that can be placed comfortably on someone's lap whilst in use. It weighs about three and half pounds, and can also be used in the rain, since the outer case is waterproof and sturdy enough to survive a 10 foot drop.