Speech and language are verbal communication tools your child uses every day to express her thoughts, ideas, emotions or needs. In addition, she will use nonverbal cues in the form of writing, signing and gestures. Deaf children use different techniques than hearing children in order to develop effective communication skills. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that approximately 1 in every 1,000 infants is born deaf, with 1 in every 1,000 infants having a hearing impairment significant enough to impair speech.
Defined
Your child's language development is measured in milestones, whether he is deaf or hearing. A hearing child will use repetitive syllables such as "ma, ma" or "da, da" within the first six months of life; however, if your child is deaf, nonverbal communication, such as pointing, is used to portray those syllables. Just as a hearing child expands on her vocabulary, your deaf child will learn to communicate through sign language, with both types of children learning the foundations and rules of language development.
Significance
Visual learning strategies are an integral component when your deaf child is learning language development. Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto, a professor and chairperson of the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory for Language and Child Development at Dartmouth College, studied the milestones between both hearing and deaf children. During Dr. Petitto's evaluations, she reported that both groups equally achieved the same language milestones within the first few years of life, even with using different learning techniques. Dr. Petitto notes that the brain tissue associated with language acquisition is the same in both hearing and deaf children. In addition, using the visual learning and repetitive techniques helps to develop a language pattern, whether verbal or nonverbal.
Types
Various forms of language development techniques are available and dependent on your child's needs. Using an oral/auditory type employs the use of assistive devices, such as hearing aids or the cochlear implant. This helps with enhancing speech and listening skills while communicating. American Sign Language is the most common type of language tool used to assist with language development for a deaf child. Even though gestures are a form of communication used early in life, sign language helps your child communicate with the family and at school more effectively. In addition, your child may use a combination of the two techniques to assist with learning to read and write.
Misconceptions
A common misconception is a label placed on deaf children and their ability to learn to communicate. Children who are born deaf, or lose hearing after birth, are capable of learning to communicate; the techniques used are just different in comparison to a hearing child. Sandra Briggle, author of "Language and Literacy Development in Children Who Are Deaf or Hearing Impaired," states that language development is contingent on frequent, consistent and accessible communication.
Considerations
American Sign Language is a complex language that uses the basis of sight to communicate. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, sign language uses hand shape, position, body movements, gestures, facial expressions and other visual cues to form words. Learning sign language is similar to learning a foreign language, and mastering fluency takes commitment and practice.
References
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Communication Options for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
- American Society for Deaf Children: A Quality Language Arts Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Parents in the Driver's Seat
- Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University: Language Acquisition in Deaf Children
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: American Sign Language
