Building Language Foundations in ASL and English

1. Building Language Foundations in ASL and English Debra Cushner, Parent- Infant Teacher Julie Mitchiner, Early Childhood Teacher Debra Nussbaum, Coordinator, Cochlear Implant Center Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.

2. Faculty Disclosure Information • In the past 12 months, I have not had a significant financial interest or other relationship with the manufacturer(s) of the product(s) or provider(s) of the service(s) that will be discussed in my presentation. • This presentation will (not) include discussion of pharmaceuticals or devices that have not been approved by the FDA or if you will be discussing unapproved or “off-label” uses of pharmaceuticals or devices.

3. Who We Are Gallaudet University

4. Clerc CenterEarly Childhood Programs… meeting the needs of individual children and families • Parent-Infant • Nursery • Pre-Kindergarten • Kindergarten

5. Other Clerc Center Supports • Family educator • Family sign language program • Shared Reading program • Other support services (OT, PT, Audiology, ASL, Auditory/Speech, Psychology, Counseling, Nursing) • Coordination with local childcare services

6. Agenda • Beliefs about early language development • Strategies to facilitate American Sign Language with young children • Strategies to stimulate spoken language with young children

7. It is important to initiate early language in the most accessible way possible

8. It is not always clear what role “listening” will play on the path to learning language.

9. Beliefs about early language development • Early language acquisition and a shared language, (in any modality) is critical to timely development in all areas • Communication should be comfortable, non-frustrating and accessible. • Language is best learned in child centered, functional, language rich and meaningful contexts with strong language models

10. Beliefs about early language development • Children can benefit from exposure to both American Sign Language and English during the early stages of language development • Early amplification and its role in learning spoken language should be closely monitored • Language use may change over time based on changing child characteristics (i.e. obtaining cochlear implant, demonstrated competence/comfort in ASL and/or Spoken English)

11. Fully Visual Communicator Mostly Visual Communicator Mostly Auditory Communicator Fully Auditory Communicator V VA VA Av A Important to look at children on a continuum

12. Where a child fits on the continuum depends on the coming together of many impacting factors (and may change over time)

13. Strategies to facilitate ASL development

14. Building early visual communication • Establish and maintain eye contact • Incorporate attention-getting strategies such as touching, tapping, and waving. • Position infants so they can see the communicator’s face as well as other objects or people of interest. • Use positive and interesting facial expressions • Expose signs through signing on a child’s body, book, or near an object. Incorporate a child’s peripheral view. • Use frequent repetition of signs. Include strategies such as pointing to an object before and after a sign, and signing the name of the object

15. Establish and maintain eye contactIncorporate attention-getting strategies such as touching, tapping, and waving. Position infants so they can see the communicator’s face as well as other objects or people of interest. Video clip

16. Position infants so they can see the communicator’s face as well as other objects or people of interest. Use positive and interesting facial expressions Video clip

17. Expose signs through signing on a child’s body, book, or near an object. Video clip

18. Incorporate a child’s peripheral view. Video clip

19. Use frequent repetition of signs. Include strategies such as pointing to an object before and after a sign, and signing the name of the object Video clip

20. Ideas to support language development • Invite strong language models to interact with children (i.e. parents, teachers, other professionals…) • Use props to motivate language development such as puppets , art supplies, animals, pets, nature, and mirrors • Facilitate positive language development by following a child’s interests • Use books for Read Aloud with follow up activities • Introduce to new concepts (cooking, sound and music, stars and lights, wind, color gradation, growing, babies)

21. Include strong language models to interact with children: (i.e. parents, teachers, other professionals…) Video clip

22. Use props to motivate language development such as puppets , art supplies, animals, pets, nature, and mirrors

23. Facilitate positive language development by following child’s interests Video clip

24. Use books for ASL Read Aloud with follow up activities Video clip

25. Introduce to new concepts (cooking, sound and music, stars and lights, wind, color gradation, growing, babies) Video clip

26. Strategies to facilitate spoken language development

27. A child must “learn to listen” before they can “listen to learn”

28. About “Learning to Listen” • Establishment of listening foundations is a process that follows a hierarchy of development • Listening development takes place at different rates for each child • Listening development involves both structured training and natural integration

29. About “Listening to Learn” • Children have varied potentials to access learning through their listening • Spoken language potential may shift (hearing aid fitting, cochlear implantation, maturation of auditory skill development) • A child’s “auditory functioning level” as well as other areas should be considered in determining when a child is ready to “listen to learn” • Spoken language immersion may not be “enough” • Guidelines are helpful in determining “if” and “when” a child is ready to transition to spoken language.

30. Bring sound awareness in varied ways Video clip

31. Work with families to facilitate attention to sound Video clip

32. Help children to learn that their voice can cause something to happen Video clip

33. Work on conditioning a child to respond to sound Video clip

34. Structure activities to “imprint” and “imitate” new sounds Video clip

35. Help a child make sound-object associations Video clip

36. Integrate spoken language skill development into natural settings(imprinting, repetition, sound object association) Video clip

37. Remember The goal is for each child to become the best communicator possible… as early as possible.