The Benefit of the “And” for Considerations of Language Modality for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

Abstract

Purpose Language modality choices for deaf children continue to be an area of debate, but we argue that the dichotomy of “either/or” for language modality is outdated in a world that increasingly values bilingualism. Evidence is provided that a bilingual approach to language for deaf children is not contraindicated and that deaf children can learn both spoken and signed language given an adequate amount of exposure to each language. Conclusions We note that exposure to signed language during the early phases of auditory evaluation and rehabilitation can reduce missed opportunities for language acquisition. We further suggest that professionals who work with these children and their families need to consider their own biases in how language modality choices are presented in order to provide the best possible support services.

Lessons to be Learned from Bimodal Bilingualism

“…The long history of language deprivation suffered by DHH children limited to spoken language input bears grim testimony to this fact (Hall, 2017). Even for children who benefit from advanced hearing technology, sign languages offer critical advantages for their overall language development (Davidson et al, 2014;Secora & Smith, 2021), making bimodal bilingualism the most promising option for families who wish for their DHH children to develop spoken language.…”

Introduzindo a educação regular bilíngue bimodal inclusiva na Holanda usando as melhores práticas da Austrália

“…Por exemplo, há evidências de que o conhecimento da língua de sinais das crianças holandesas está associado a uma melhor leitura (Hermans et al, 2008;Ormel et al, 2012) e produção da língua falada (Hermans et al, 2010). Esses resultados refletem as descobertas internacionais de que a língua de sinais natural pode fortalecer a língua escrita e falada (por exemplo, Hoffmeister et al, 2022;Scott & Hoffmeister, 2016;Secora & Smith, 2021). Além disso, a língua de sinais provou ser benéfica para aumentar o conhecimento metalinguístico e conceitual, por exemplo, em disciplinas como a história (por exemplo, Svartholm, 2010).…”