The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support, education, and advocacy for families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. We believe that every child, regardless of hearing status, deserves access to language, education, and opportunities to thrive.
W H A T W E D O
At ASDC, we empower families with the knowledge and tools they need to raise successful Deaf children. Our services include early language acquisition support, advocacy for inclusive education, mentoring programs, and a national network of families and professionals committed to ensuring that Deaf children have every opportunity to thrive
Welcome!
Since 1967, ASDC has supported parents of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children. We believe that deafness is not a disability, but language deprivation is. That’s why it’s our mission to ensure that every Deaf child has the opportunity to learn sign language from the very start
Our Mission
The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is committed to empowering all families with deaf* and hard-of-hearing children and youth by embracing full language and communication access in inclusive environments. We do this through mentoring, advocacy, resources, and collaborative networks.
*ASDC uses the term "deaf" to be inclusive of all hearing levels and identities within the Deaf community L E A R N A S L W I T H O U R F R E E R E S O U R C E S
ABC Chart: Download our ASL alphabet chart to get started with fingerspelling 112 2 3 3
Numbers Chart: Explore our ASL numbers chart to help with counting in sign language
Wendy Kelly, Director of Marketing | Editor
Cheri Dowling, ASDC Executive Director
Jodi L Falk, PhD | St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf; Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL | Language First; Janelle Brown, MS, CCC-SLP | St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf
Jodi L. Falk, PhD Executive Director | St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf
ENDEAVORThe
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CHERI DOWLING
MANAGING EDITOR
WENDY KELLY
CONTENT DIRECTORS
ASDC Staff
ART DIRECTION
Indigo Blue Consulting
ASDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JUDIE LOMAX
Board President
JENNIFER LUCE
Vice President
LAURI RUSH
Treasurer
ANGELICA LEE GAGLIARDI
Secretary
Malibu Barron
John Bechhold, Jr.
Joseph Hernan
Michelle Jablonka
Cody Sharp
Carlisa Thompson
Heather Withrow
MISSION STATEMENT
The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is committed to empowering all families with deaf* and hard-of-hearing children and youth by embracing full language and communication access in inclusive environments through mentoring, advocacy, resources, and collaborative networks.
*ASDC uses the term deaf to be inclusive of various hearing levels and identities within the deaf community
A Season of Growth and Transitions
Thoughts from ASDC’s Managing Editor, Wendy Kelly
Spring brings a season of growth and transitions, making it the perfect time to explore D/HH Parenting Navigating Life’s Transitions from Birth to Adulthood
Inside this issue, you’ll find in-depth articles that offer insights and practical guidance for families at every stage of the journey Our Executive Director, Cheri Dowling, shares her reflections on the evolving landscape of support for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children and their families, reinforcing the importance of language access and advocacy at every milestone.
We’re also excited to share more about our Holiday Card Art Contest winners! These beautifully designed, all-inclusive holiday cards will be available in early April 2025, offering a meaningful way to celebrate the season while supporting ASDC’s mission.
The Endeavor remains a valuable resource for families, educators, and advocates If you’re not yet an ASDC member, now is the perfect time to join! Membership grants you access to exclusive resources, webinars, and a supportive community dedicated to ensuring every Deaf child has full access to language and opportunity Visit www.deafchildren.org to become a member today
We love hearing from our readers! If you have story ideas, feedback, or an article to share, please reach out we are always looking for new voices to feature in The Endeavor.
Thank you for your continued support, and for being a part of this i dibl j t d more inclusive world for all Deaf
"Language is the soil in which the seeds of understanding grow, and like spring, it brings new beginnings, connection, and endless possibilities." – Unknown
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Parenting Navigating Life Transitions from Birth to Ad
Thoughts from ASDC’s Executive Director, Cheri Dowli
Parenting is a journey of constant change. From the moment a child is born, families embark on a path filled with milestones, challenges, and celebrations. For parents of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) children, this journey carries unique transitions that require careful navigation, advocacy, and support. Whether you are welcoming a newborn, preparing for school, or guiding your young adult into independence, each phase brings new opportunities to empower your child and build a strong foundation for their future
Early Years: Language, Connection, and Advocacy
The earliest years of a D/HH child's life are crucial for language development and forming connections Parents often find themselves navigating early hearing screenings, choosing communication methods, and seeking resources to ensure their child has full access to language. During this stage, the focus is on learning about Deaf culture, connecting with other families, and advocating for early intervention services that support language acquisition. No matter the chosen path American Sign Language (ASL), spoken language, or a combination ensuring consistent, accessible communication is key to building a strong foundation
School Age: Education and Social Development
As children grow, the focus shifts to education and social development. Parents advocate for inclusive learning environments, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and the right
support systems in schools. This period is about ensuring academic success while fostering selfconfidence and social interaction Families work closely with educators, interpreters, and specialists to make sure their child thrives in both academic and extracurricular settings Many parents also introduce their children to Deaf role models, ensuring they see themselves represented in the world around them
Adolescence: Identity, Independence, and Self-Advocacy
The teenage years bring the transition from dependence to independence. Adolescents begin to explore their own identities, develop self-advocacy skills, and navigate friendships, relationships, and career aspirations. Parents shift from being primary advocates to supporting their child's own voice in decisionmaking This is the time to encourage independence in managing hearing technology, communicating their accessibility needs, and preparing for life beyond high school Whether through college, vocational training, or workforce entry, ensuring they have the confidence and skills to advocate for themselves is essential.
Adulthood: Career, Community, and Lifelong Support
As D/HH individuals transition into adulthood, the focus turns to employment, higher education, and community connections.
Executive Director, American Society for Deaf
Cheri Dowling
Children
Why Language Accessibility Matters
Every student deserves to learn in an environment that provides full access to language and communication.
ASDC believes that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children are entitled to full language access from birth. Research has consistently shown that early exposure to accessible language whether through American Sign Language (ASL), spoken language, or a combination of both is critical for cognitive, social, and academic development Language access should be determined by what provides the child with the best opportunity to thrive, not by outdated assumptions or limitations
A truly accessible learning environment ensures that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students are not simply accommodated but fully included. When children have full access to language, they can develop strong literacy skills, engage in meaningful conversations, and build connections with both Deaf and hearing communities. Without language accessibility, children risk experiencing delays in social, emotional, and academic development.
Yet, too often, decisions about language access are made based on convenience rather than evidence Schools and educational institutions may prioritize mainstream placement without fully considering the importance of direct language exposure, peer interaction, and culturally responsive education Language deprivation is a real and preventable issue, and ASDC remains committed to ensuring that every child has access to language and communication that supports their success Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and connect. When we prioritize language accessibility, we create a more inclusive world where all children, regardless of hearing level, can reach their full potential.
Breaking New Ground: A Deaf School’s Evolution to Serve DeafBlind and Deaf Disabled Students
Jodi L. Falk, PhD
Executive Director | St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf
At St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf (SFDS), we ' ve embarked on a transformation to redefine what education looks like for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Deaf Disabled (DDBDD). What started as a specialized institution for the Deaf has evolved into an inclusive model that champions the diverse needs of a broader community.
Our Why
Before any strategic initiatives to grow our program to be inclusive for all DDBDD students, we needed to start with our values, mission & vision (See Table 1). These three components were our guideposts as we navigated through policy and programmatic shifts (See Table 2).
Building on Our Foundation
Realizing our mission and adhering to our core values required a concrete action framework Our professional learning and programmatic shifts equipped educators with the skills and knowledge to transform these values into daily practices that benefited our entire school community
Professional Learning
We were committed to a dynamic approach to professional learning that emphasized a continuous cycle of engagement This involved securing buy-in, providing comprehensive training, offering ongoing coaching, maintaining accountability, and focusing on outcomes that directly impacted student achievement.
Communication & Language Training
As a school serving DDBDD students, training our staff in diverse communication methods such as ASL, Tactile-ASL (TASL), spoken English, and various AAC forms like visualtangible symbols, picture exchange and electronic devices was essential. Many students had AAC listed on their Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and were provided devices by the school district. However, AAC involves a systematic build-up of complex concepts, driven by continuous data collection.
We partnered with Pyramid Educational Consultants to enhance our understanding and use of Picture Exchange Communication (PECSⓇ) Our teachers and SLPs were trained and certified in PECSⓇ as well as in the transition from PECSⓇ to mid & high-tech devices Other staff were trained in applying PECSⓇ effectively Moreover, Perkins School for the Blind helped us develop and implement visual-tangible symbols, and T-ASL was integrated into our intervener training with New York DeafBlind Collaborative (NYDBC)
At the core of our work was the Language & Communication Profiles (LCP) & Plans Led by the Executive Director, the Communication & Language Supervisor (AAC specialist), and consultants from Language First, Dr. Kim Sanzo (Bimodal-Bilingual specialist) and Chrissy Morris (AuditoryVerbal specialist), our team adapted existing bimodal-
bilingual models to encompass multimodal- multilingual communication We developed a digital LCP and Plan template, curated assessment tools, and upon completion, trained and coached our staff, continually revising these tools based on their feedback. Additionally, to support other educators and practitioners, we offered the digital LCP and Plan template online free of charge.
Intervener Training
Paraprofessionals require specific skills to become qualified interveners. NYDBC provided specialized training to our teacher assistants, supporting them in creating a professional portfolio. This portfolio is a key step towards achieving national certification as interveners
Curricula & Instruction Training Literacy
To ensure accountability and adherence to learning standards through a multilingual framework, we selected specific curricula and programs such as Fairview LearningⓇ, Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI), and Learning Without TearsⓇ Additionally, both Fairview Learning and SIWI provided ongoing coaching to teachers after the initial training sessions
Instructional Methods
We contracted specialists in various aspects of DDBDD education to enhance our practices. Dr. Lauren Lieberman from SUNY Brockport consulted on adapted physical education and recess. Nancy O’Donnell from the Usher Syndrome Coalition provided training for our speechlanguage pathologists on communicating with DeafBlind individuals. Cognition & Learning consultant, Dr. Janice Berchin Weiss trained and coached our teachers on cognitive interventions. Collaborations with Perkins School for the Blind were essential in refining our DeafBlind education practices, involving training sessions, observations, debriefs, model lessons and coaching of best practices (see Table 3)
Assessment Training
We curated assessment tools specifically designed for DDBDD learners, focusing on those suited for multimodal communicators To expand our capabilities, we sought training on assessments new to our repertoire, including the Communication Matrix adapted for Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), Cottage Acquisition Scales for Listening, Language, and Speech (CASLLS), Visual Communication and Sign Language Checklist (VCSL), and Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment (TPBA).
Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) Training
SFDS developed a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) system tailored to our school's unique needs, guided by the social values of Respect, Inclusivity, Safety, and Equity (RISE). With assistance from a consultant from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, the system was designed specifically for DDBDD students, including access to multisensory rooms and communication checks. Our PBIS team members were certified as trainers in Devereux’s Safe & Positive Approaches® (S&PA), a program intentionally selected for its focus on nonphysical de-escalation techniques. As students need their hands for communication and/or may be medically fragile, restraints are not permitted
SMARTE Goals & Peer-to-Peer Coaching
An element of our professional learning paradigm was peer coaching Staff set SMARTE goals (Strategic, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Based, Timebound, and Equitable) and coached each other fostering an environment of growth and support This system, enhanced by Educational Consultant, Dr Katie Cunningham, ensured that our educators took ownership of their growth while creating a school culture of achievement
Programmatic Shifts
To support the success of a school program for DDBDD students required making shifts to some long-standing practices. Guidelines for lesson plans were revised to include differentiation of content, product, process and communication to support all learners. Service providers were assigned to fewer classes allowing for better collaboration. Additionally, carving out time in practitioners' schedules for team planning became essential. Planning meetings were embedded into schedules where the Communication & Language Supervisor oversaw each meeting to ensure they were conducted with fidelity PushIns for most related services were needed, as well This supported transdisciplinary approaches and station- based teaching To ensure this, the location of services on IEPs were amended from ‘in the therapy room ’ to ‘flexible ’
A variety of 1:1 paraprofessionals were needed for our DDBDD students Some required Interveners, while others needed health or safety paraprofessionals These specific needs were documented in those students' IEPs, and paraprofessionals were hired and added to the class rosters
Community-Based Partners
As we deepened instructional methods for DDBDD students,
we also partnered with community-based organizations to provide an expansive school program A Theatre Arts program for children with autism, Kaiser’s Room provided classes keeping the atmosphere fun. Kaiser’s Room trained Deaf actors in their methodologies to deliver the classes directly in ASL. Chloe, from Music with Chloe is a Hard of Hearing music teacher who used multimodal practices to make music instruction accessible. Brooklyn Conservatory of Music provided music therapy while aligning the sessions with our students’ therapeutic and educational IEP goals.
As SFDS became recognized as an option in the continuum of services for DDBDD students in NYC, we realized the importance of supporting our graduates beyond their time at our school Recognizing that our DeafBlind students would eventually become teens and adults, we facilitated connections between their families and the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), which offers Vocational Services for DeafBlind teens and adults
Representation
We wanted DDBDD students to see themselves represented from positions of leadership to the joyful play of recess Deaf artist Ryan Seslow painted a mural across the playground wall depicting students with and without disabilities (canes, wheelchairs) and multimodal communication (iPads, PECS, fingerspelling). DDBDD individuals began holding executive positions on the Board of Directors. Deaf Mentors trained by Ski Hi worked with families and DeafBlind individuals from HKNC interned and joined our staff.
Capital & Building Improvements
Part of our vision is to be a state-of-the-art, universally designed facility. Universally designed means surpassing standard accessibility to ensure inclusivity wherever possible Some of our inclusive building updates include our playground, garden, staff lounge, and stages Aligned with our goal to excel in DDBDD programming, we created spaces including two ADL classrooms, two multisensory rooms, a sensory-integration therapy room, a multimodal music classroom, and an active learning classroom Simple building modifications included repainting and installing new lighting in dark hallways to aid those with low vision We also added visual-tangible symbols to doorways of classrooms and therapy spaces, crafted by Adapted Designs Association
Beyond the Classroom
In addition to Deaf Mentors and ASL classes, SFDS hosted
weekend programming which provided childcare, transportation and interpreters of all languages Families learned language stimulation strategies to support their child’s language development.
Future Plans
SFDS has made strides over the last five years in creating a program utilizing best practices for DDBDD students. As we move forward to the next five years, we will continue to make choices rooted in our core beliefs. We have lofty goals ahead of us including expanding our family weekend program and continuing upgrades to the building by following principles of universal design for inclusive spaces for all We will be on the forefront of change at the state level advocating for licensure and pay parity for the professionals that work with DDBDD including interveners and O&M specialists Onward!
St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf (SFDS) is a nonpublic, New York State supported school for Deaf students from birth through 8th grade located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn SFDS offers a Parent Infant Program (Ages 0-3), an Early Childhood Program (Ages 35) and a School Age Program (Grades K-8). Students attending SFDS are Deaf, DeafBlind and Deaf Disabled. SFDS utilizes best practices from current research in Deaf Education. We are a communicative, language and literacy rich environment.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who shared their incredible talents with us! Your creativity and passion have brought Celebrating Seasons of Joy to life in the most inspiring way. As promised, we are thrilled to showcase our winners in this Spring Edition of The Endeavor and will celebrate their amazing artwork during Deaf History Month in April 2025. Keep an eye out—their designs will also be part of this year ’ s holiday card collection, available for purchase starting in April
The American Society for Deaf Children's ASL Stories Directory makes it easy to find hundreds of free videos of ASL retellings of your child's or student's favorite books. Research shows that reading and signing stories together helps promote essential language development and literacy skills for ALL children: deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing.
Use our ASL Stories Directory to quickly find stories by age or by the book's title. Make the most of signing and reading with your child! Visit our directory today!
Bedtime Stories The Power of
by Laura Blum, Founder | About Love and Language
Can bedtime stories change a life?* Yes! While a single bedtime story alone won’t change a life, research shows the consistent practice of bedtime stories, especially during childhood, can have a significant positive impact on a child’s language, mental, emotional, and cognitive development.
About Love and Language (A L L ) creates Simple to Sign Books to assist families with emerging ASL skills share books, build language with their children while developing their own ASL vocabulary Risks of language delays aren’t limited to children with hearing loss As our acronym suggests, About Love and Language aims to support ALL families who have children at risk for language delays - for whatever reason.
Founder Laura Blum shares, “We believe parents are their children’s first teachers Bonds of love and language are built naturally during daily routines like mealtimes, playtimes, and bedtime stories Language delays are the most common delays among developing children and American Sign Language (ASL) can help Families learning ASL need additional resources and support to create a language rich environment.” The risk is higher amid families with d/hh children. 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents yet it is reported only 30% will learn ASL. A.L.L believes more than 30% of families try to learn ASL, but parents lack early success with their emerging skills
Families new to ASL face many challenges when trying to share books using ASL First, ASL is not a written language Since parents are learning ASL, they don’t yet have the sign vocabulary to translate traditional books A L L creates books that are written in English and simple to sign in ASL. Caregivers can learn to sign a Simple to Sign book in minutes rather than months. This builds confidence in their signing skills and fluency as parents share books with their children
Rhyming is essential in building a strong language foundation Oftentimes when books are translated into ASL, the rhyme and word play are lost in translation About Love and Language creates books that rhyme in ASL Simple to Sign books provide linguistic play equivalent to traditional books that rhyme in English In addition to the cognitive benefits for children, parents report learning ASL in rhymes helps them learn ASL easier
One dad shares, “ When I found out my son was deaf, I was determined to learn sign language I set a goal to learn one sign a day Unfortunately by the time Thursday came I had already forgotten the sign I had tried to learn on Monday With months of failing to learn ASL I was discouraged I had pretty much given up on learning ASL Then my wife insisted I attend an ASL in the Park event hosted by About Love and Language during my lunch break I met my wife and children (my 5 year old hearing daughter and 6 month old deaf son) at the park I didn’t have high hopes, but I watched Deaf mentors sign the book Colorful Ocean They shared the book twice The first time, the Deaf mentor signed the book The second reading, they encouraged us parents to sign the pages first I was surprised I could remember some signs after seeing the book read once Then we split into small groups My wife joined a group of parents with babies and I took my daughter to a group of children playing ‘Go Fish’ This game had the same images as the book. After 15 minutes of play I felt confident I had learned a dozen signs in ASL! I couldn’t believe how easily I could remember, recall, and reproduce the signs. I am so grateful for these books. They make learning ASL fun and easy to remember. I began the event feeling discouraged and distraught that I would never have a meaningful relationship with my son. Yet I left the event with a handful of books I felt confident I would be able to sign and with new enthusiasm to learn ASL. Thank you for these Simple to Sign books! ” (*At the beginning of this article, the question was raised: can Bedtime Stories change a life? This father’s experience illustrates how Simple to Sign books can change the lives of deaf children by helping parents learn ASL )
Perri Klass, MD, FAAP says, "Reading together with young children weaves joyful language and rich interactive moments into the fabric of daily life As a pediatrician and parent, I suggest making books your bedtime routine, using them to connect and wind down after a busy day, and generally building them into life with a young child It will strengthen the bonds that hold you together and build your child's developing brain "
The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that, as a positive parenting practice, shared reading helps build the foundation for healthy social-emotional, cognitive, language, and literacy development This sets the stage for school readiness and provides enduring benefits across the life course
With all the challenges families face, bedtime stories shouldn’t be another one Simple to Sign books are designed specifically to support families on their journey to learn ASL. Each book has a QR code. If parents do not know the signs they can scan the QR code and watch a 3-5 min video from a Utah PIP Deaf mentor that teaches the ASL vocabulary. Illustrated by a Deaf Artist, Simple to Sign books provide positive Deaf representation helping deaf children and their parents see Deaf achievement which promotes positive self esteem
Simple to Sign books aren’t just fun, they build functional language to help with daily interactions. For example, What Will Bear Wear? helps foster daily conversations about “What should we wear today?” They are also educational! Parents love that with their emerging signing skills they can still help their children be school ready Stories that involve counting and colors, weather and seasons, and learning the alphabet, etc
As one couple shared, “they really couldn’t be any better!”
Research shows 70% of Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing children don’t have access to language. And it’s actually worse for BIPOC deaf children. Language deprivation is a devastating reality for many deaf children, and the NAD strongly believes this is a serious and urgent health crisis. To address this, the NAD has developed several documents – we developed two open letters: one for families and for professionals who work with Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard-of-Hearing children. We also developed a position statement that makes policy recommendations to end language deprivation. These three documents are based on a thoroughly researched paper with different research and studies related to language deprivation; it outlines which systematic policy can be improved so all Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing children have access to language, from birth to adulthood. To access a language from birth means every deaf child is able to meet expected language milestones, receive language and communication support, and interact with the world without barriers. These factors lead to successful language acquisition for most deaf children. Every child has the right to access a full language from birth.
OFFICIAL
Position Statement
[English / Download PDF] [Español]
Open Letter for Families [English / Download PDF] [Español]
Open Letter for Professionals [English / Download PDF] [Español]
Technial Paper [English / Download PDF] [Español]
The Language Ladder: Sturdy Steps for Robust Acquisition
by: Ann Lyles & Kandice Hunt
Research Foundation of The Language Ladder
Many Deaf and Hard of Hearing students experience language deprivation and gaps with language development within their first language (L1) (Cheng et al., 2019; Glickman et al., 2020; M. L. Hall et al., 2019; W. C. Hall, 2017; W. C. Hall et al., 2017; Lillo-Martin & Henner, 2021; Lund and Douglas 2016). “Language deprivation occurs due to a chronic lack of full access to a natural language during the critical period of language acquisition (when there is an elevated neurological sensitivity for language development), approximately the first five years of a child’s life” (Hall et al , 2017) Language gaps are defined as when a child has some foundational language with splintered skills at varying language levels with gaps in milestones met There is evidence from other populations that direct, developmental instruction within a language-rich environment is necessary to mitigate the deprivation and gaps (Balthazar et al , 2020; Gill et al , 2003; Tarvainen et al , 2021; Lund & Douglas, 2016) While there are many practices, assessments, and curricula that exist to assist in the development of DHH students, a comprehensive framework to guide the Teacher of the Deaf and the IEP team for both Listening and Spoken Language and American Sign Language remains absent.
Additionally, inconsistencies in teacher preparation programs muddle skilled service delivery of the child’s developmental needs. Teachers of the Deaf must be a
“Jack of All Trades” as they address language development, social/emotional regulation (to include behavior management), self-advocacy, Hearing Assistive Technology needs, as well as implementation and coaching with the child’s team regarding accommodations and modifications This wide variety in both student needs and teacher experience/exposure make it difficult to develop a roadmap for development Although lists and resources are available on the web, it is difficult for the practitioner to maintain documentation and progress monitoring with a timely and functional manner in all the above-named areas
Wrought with burnout and shortages, the field of Deaf Education needs a comprehensive framework Thus, Quill Model has taken on this challenge and established a multifaceted, holistic solution based on Bloom and Lahey’s 1978 Form, Content, and Use language development model As a well-known resource among Speech-Language Pathologists, this foundational research provides excellent guidance for development regardless of modality of the DHH student
Before diving into the The Language Ladder, an
of Bloom and Lahey’s research along with current information on language definitions is needed. In a 1980 article, Lois Bloom outlined the complexities of language and categorized language learning into three areas: Form, Content, and Use. Bloom explains that Form includes phonology, morphology, and syntax - all the forms in which children will express language. Content addresses the meaning of what one is talking about. The content in a message demonstrates what one knows about particular objects and events Use refers to the function and context of a message To learn language, these areas cannot be taught as isolated elements of language Owens (2020) drives home this concept by explaining that pragmatics cannot be a separate component In fact, pragmatics is the umbrella or underlying context for teaching all other components of language: phonology, semantics, syntax, and morphology
ASHA’s Committee on Language (1983) iterates the above further by defining language as, “ a dynamic system embedded in and influenced by a number of factors (e g , social, cultural, cognitive). It is a rule-governed system involving the integrated use of its components, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Proficient use of language involves knowledge of human interaction and understanding the demands of the environment. Language is expressed in a number of modes including oral, written, and signed modes.”
Wallach and Ocampo (2022) explain “that language has two major layers: (1) the first layer is the ‘basic linguistic layer’ and (2) the second layer is the ‘metalinguistic layer ’” (p 11) Experience from the authors and their colleagues has shown that many DHH students can master the basic linguistic layer as they can carry spontaneous conversations in a variety of social environments However, DHH students are often unable to access or are not directly taught the metalinguistic layer of language This is even more true for DHH students using ASL as their primary language because they may be learning language through interpreters (some of whom do not have adequate skill to work in the PK-12 environment) and do not have direct, developmental instruction in ASL Consequently, a multifaceted, dynamic approach incorporating metlinguistic features is necessary.
In addition to the broad scope of language, there are many models of tiered and hierarchical language development. In addition to Bloom and Owens’ examples above, there are the Tiers of Vocabulary, Tiers of Literacy, Language Processing Hierarchy, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Furthermore,
there are charts that track the development of receptive and expressive language such as the Auditory Learning Guide, Cottage Acquisition Scales of Listening Language and Speech, and the Visual Communication and Sign Language Checklist.
It is important to note that this framework focuses on natural language development as opposed to communication systems such as total communication, Signing Exact English, and Cued Speech These communication systems are tools one may use to develop a natural language and could be integrated into the The Language Ladder with the appropriate guidance of professionals knowledgeable in these areas Ultimately, the focus on natural language development, whether it be Listening and Spoken Language or American Sign Language or both, is key in mitigating language deprivation and language gaps (Scott & Dostal, 2019)
Given the number of isolated assessments, models, and curricula used with DHH students, an integrated framework is needed to develop a short-term and long-term roadmap for each DHH student receiving services through their IEP.
Overview of the Quill Model Language Ladder
The Language Ladder is pivotal in understanding and supporting the multifaceted and metalinguistic language development of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students. This comprehensive approach integrates best practices in language development, developmental language charts, assessments, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and progress monitoring to foster effective language acquisition and usage
Framework Overview: The Quill Model Language Ladder is a holistic method that breaks down language development into three core areas (Form, Content, and Use) The framework entails three major components that drive the roadmap:
Layered and dynamic language components - Form, Content, and Use
Tiered and hierarchical language complexity development- Functional, Discourse, Narrative Functional - Language precursors (unconventional and conventional communication methods to include gesturing, fine motor, symbols, and/or gross motor movement) up to core symbols to request or reject Discourse - Back-and-forth dynamic language exchange (oral, sign, multi-modal) to include
Connect with the Deaf Community
SignOn connects the hearing and Deaf communities through authentic virtual learning interactions. Through the Deaf Ambassador program for adults, parents can improve their ASL skills, connect with members of the Deaf community, and increase their awareness of Deaf culture. Deaf and hard-of-hearing kids can communicate and connect with each other through the Friends Like Me program!
Assessment: Evaluate the student's current proficiency in Form, Content, and Use as well as language complexity through academic impact, standardized tests, normreferenced assessments, dynamic assessments, and observational data 1.
2
Goal Setting: Establish specific, measurable goals based on the assessment results
4
3 Progress Monitoring: Regularly track the student's advancements and adjust interventions, as necessary
Intervention: Develop and implement strategies based on intervention hierarchy to address the identified needs within the Language Ladder through integrative lesson planning
In closing, this framework fills gaps in service delivery models and supports DHH students’ access to education It is intended to be used regardless of if the targeted student(s) present with language deprivation or language gaps. Feedback from a variety of Deaf Educators, Speech Pathologists, and Educational Interpreters during conferences in which an overview of the Language Ladder Framework was shared indicates that an inclusive and dynamic model for Deaf Education is long overdue. Participants shared a need for direction on assessments, goal development, and lesson planning. Further, there is a consensus that resources are needed to implement the process described in this paper Therefore, the Quill Model’s Language Ladder is an unparalleled systematic approach for all things Deaf Education
About the Authors:
Language development and complexity is first assessed within the academic setting using tools that test across Form, Content, and Use. The results of the assessments are charted on one page for Listening Spoken Language and one page for American Sign Language. This identifies the student’s present levels that one can see all on one page. Based on the present levels, integrative expressive, receptive, and self-advocacy goals are developed, incorporating the whole child to advance the child’s skills on the language ladder. Finally, teachers implement integrative lessons and progress monitor development using the teaching hierarchy All of this is shown with the Circle of Growth diagram in Figure 1, which shows model implementation
Ann Lyles, MSP, CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist with training in Auditory Verbal Therapy practices and a focus on working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students. Lyles currently treats as a school-based SLP and works with Carter Hears! and Quill Model for professional development and special projects.
Kandice Hunt, M.Ed., TBRI Practitioner, is a Teacher of the Deaf with Carter Hears! in South Carolina. Also, Hunt works to develop frameworks for use in Deaf Education focusing on language deprivation and trauma-informed practices.
Reviewers
Mariann Christman, M S , M Ed , EIPA 3 9, NBCT-Retired, is the Owner and Lead Consultant with Carter Hears! and is the owner of Quill Model Enterprises She is a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in North Carolina and South Carolina, a certified administrator for k-12 settings, and a certified Educational Interpreter
Leah Geer, Ph D , is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for ASL & Deaf Studies, Sacramento State She is also co-owner of ASL at Home alongside her husband Razi Zarchy.
Beth Walker Wooten, M.Ed., C.E.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, is the creator of the Auditory Learning Guide and a renowned expert in Listening and Spoken Language development. She also works with Hearing First.
For References, please reach out to the authors.
Figure 1. Circle of Growth Diagram
Life is full of transitions. From the moment our children take their first breath, they begin a journey of change one that never really stops. As parents, we do our best to prepare them for each stage, from crawling to walking, preschool to high school, and eventually, the leap into adulthood But some transitions are more complicated than others, especially when you ’ re raising children who experience the world differently whether because of disability, neurodiversity, or societal barriers like ableism
As a mother of two sons one who is autistic, the other who is hard of hearing I’ve navigated these transitions both as a parent and as someone who understands them firsthand I am also deaf These experiences have shaped not only how I advocate for my children but also how I help them learn to advocate for themselves
Learning to Navigate Together
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that life’s transitions aren’t just about teaching our kids how to adapt to the world it’s also about teaching the world how to make space for them. Whether it’s advocating for an IEP at school, pushing for accessibility in community spaces, or simply explaining (for the hundredth time) that yes, my child can communicate just fine in their own way, I’ve realized that parenting isn’t just about preparing kids for independence. It’s about helping shape a world where they can thrive I think back to the first time my child asked me, Why do people treat me differently? There’s no easy answer to that Explaining ableism to a child is hard, because it forces you to acknowledge that people sometimes even well-meaning ones carry biases And sometimes, those biases hurt But my job isn’t to shield my child from those realities it’s to equip them with the confidence, self-worth, and resilience to push back
A Parent’s Perspective: Navigating Life’s Transitions from Birth to Adulthood:
Wendy Kelly Mother, Advocate, and Deaf Professional
The Power of Self-Advocacy
One of the most powerful tools I can give my children is the ability to advocate for themselves. That means helping them recognize their needs, understand their rights, and develop the confidence to say, This isn’t okay when they encounter discrimination But advocacy doesn’t mean they have to carry the weight of every battle alone I remind them (and myself) that asking for help is a form of strength, not weakness
This is especially important as they transition into adulthood, where support systems shift, expectations change, and the world assumes they should “have it all figured out ” But what does that even mean? If adulthood is just a series of transitions, then nobody really has it figured out we ’ re all just learning as we go The best thing I can do is make sure my children know they’re not alone in that process
Creating a Future That Works for Them
At the end of the day, every transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood is an opportunity to redefine what success looks like. Maybe success isn’t following a traditional path, but building one that works for them. Maybe it’s college, maybe it’s trade school, maybe it’s something entirely different. The goal isn’t to fit into the world’s expectations it’s to create a life where they feel valued, capable, and whole
As parents, we won’t always have the answers But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: The best way to help our kids navigate life’s transitions is to walk beside them, advocate with them, and remind them, always, that they belong
The ABCs of Teaching Your Child to Fingerspell
by Brittany Lee, PhD, CCC-SLP and Kristen Secora, PhD, CCC-SLP
Fingerspelling is an important part of many signed languages and is commonly used to spell out words that have no sign translation But did you know that fingerspelling actually accounts for 12-35% of American Sign Language (ASL) (Padden & Gunsauls, 2003) and has a long list of other uses that support child development? Fingerspelling has been tied to memory, literacy, and academic achievement in addition to language skills in both ASL and English (Morere & Koo, 2012). Given these benefits, it is no wonder that parents are motivated to improve their children's fingerspelling abilities as well as their own. This article offers strategies that are backed by research and easy for families to implement to accomplish their fingerspelling goals
Why is fingerspelling so important?
Fingerspelling is crucial for deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) children to develop because it is an extremely versatile skill. Aside from spelling out words that do not have sign translations, fingerspelling can also be used to spell out a word that has a sign translation that the signer does not know; it therefore allows the signer to communicate despite the limitations of their sign vocabulary It is also used to spell out proper nouns like street names, short words like O-K and
S-O, acronyms like N-A-D for the National Association of the Deaf, common English abbreviations like A-P-T for 'apartment', or words borrowed from a foreign language (Padden, 2006) It can be used to emphasize a certain word, to spell out technical words that are not very common, to distinguish between similar signs, or to clarify misunderstandings
Fingerspelling can also expand the network of people a signer is able to communicate with. It can be adjusted to use with both D/HH and hearing people with varying levels of ASL proficiency. For example, a fluent signer might slow down their fingerspelling when communicating with a novice signer who is not yet skilled at "reading" fingerspelling They may also rely more heavily on fingerspelling with beginning signers who have a limited sign vocabulary or may fingerspell a word to clear up confusion when they use a sign that is unfamiliar to their conversation partner
In addition to supporting communication in ASL, fingerspelling often connects signs to printed words because it is produced with the hands and perceived visually, just like signs, but it represents the letters of a written language
Interestingly, fingerspelling is actually a better predictor of reading abilities for deaf readers than even ASL proficiency (Stone et al , 2015) (Sehyr & Emmorey, 2022) It can be used as a tool to increase children's awareness of sound (phonology) and spelling (orthography) patterns in English by connecting handshapes to corresponding written letters It can be used to introduce new vocabulary or academic concepts in ASL and/or English Just like rhyming games in English, handshape games in ASL can teach children to break signs into their component parts, an important process for developing phonological awareness, a key reading skill that can be developed through either of their languages or even both of their languages (Lederberg et al , 2019)
Aside from these communication-based functions, fingerspelling also supports cognitive processes like learning, rehearsing, and problem solving (Roos, 2013) For example, children can use it to work out the spelling of a word for a written assignment or to remember a short sequence of numbers like a room number or the combination to their locker. These numerous benefits provide great motivation for families to support their children's fingerspelling abilities.
How can I help my child learn to fingerspell?
Deaf parents who use ASL expose their children to fingerspelling from birth even though their infant cannot yet read or spell These native signing children begin attempting to fingerspell around two years old and learn to fingerspell in two stages: first, they view the fingerspelled word as if it were a whole sign; later, as they learn to read, they begin to understand that fingerspelled words are made up of several different handshapes, each of which maps onto an English letter (Padden & Le Master, 1985) Here are some recommendations for how to model fingerspelling for your child:
Don’t wait to get started There’s no minimum age a child has to be before you can fingerspell with them (Blumenthal-Kelly, 1995)
Ensure that your child has access to a wide variety of signers so that they are exposed to natural variation among fingerspellers (Geer & Keane, 2018)
Produce a fluid, continuous motion when fingerspelling instead of presenting one letter at a time (Akamatsu, 1982)
Mouth the English word while fingerspelling it (Emmorey & Petrich, 2012)
Pair the fingerspelled word along with the ASL sign and printed English word. This technique is known as chaining and is commonly used in deaf education to build vocabulary and reinforce connections across languages for bilingual/multilingual communicators (Humphries & MacDougall, 1999). Children who can
access both sign and speech would also benefit from including spoken words in these chains.
For older children, draw attention to how common word endings are fingerspelled Deaf individuals who are skilled readers use word endings to help them process words (Saunders, 2024) Fingerspell vocabulary with common suffixes like -tion or -ing to highlight these patterns
Model when to use and how to adjust fingerspelling in different situations to ensure clear communication. For example, they should carefully articulate each letter in the first time they fingerspell a word in a conversation but may fingerspell more casually in subsequent mentions of the word once it has been introduced (Lepic, 2019) They may also slow down their fingerspelling or use it more frequently with beginner signers to help them understand more easily
Model how fingerspelling is integrated into ASL but can also be used with other forms of communication like gestures, drawings, speech, and writing (Lee & Secora, 2022). This process is called translanguaging and gives kids many options to express themselves and become dynamic communicators
In order to carry out these suggestions, parents may wish to improve their own fingerspelling skills Although more research is needed to understand how non-native signers influence their children’s fingerspelling development, parents can feel encouraged that even non-fluent signers can support vocabulary development for their deaf children (Caselli et al., 2021).
How can I improve my own fingerspelling skills as a hearing parent learning ASL?
Though most children acquire fingerspelling naturally and effortlessly, mastering fingerspelling as an adult can be quite challenging (Geer & Keane, 2018) In fact, many signers learning ASL as a second language experience ‘lexidactylophobia’, or the fear of fingerspelling (Grushkin, 1998).
These difficulties can be especially frustrating for novice signers since many of them rely heavily on fingerspelling until their ASL vocabulary grows beyond a limited number of signs (Leeson et al , 2020) Here are some tips for hearing parents who want to improve their fingerspelling skills as they are learning ASL:
Focus on form. Fingerspelling is usually produced at a rate of 4 to 5 letters per second. While this benchmark may be a good goal for increasing fingerspelling speed, control is actually more important than speed for achieving fluent fingerspelling (Wilcox, 1992)
Seek out explicit instruction about how to fingerspell. Ask which fingers are used to form the handshape, how they are placed, and how to transition from one handshape to the next (Geer, 2016)
Most second language signers report that is it easier to produce fingerspelling than to comprehend it (Șerban & Tufar, 2020; Wilcox, 1992) How well you comprehend fingerspelling is influenced by factors like the speed of fingerspelling, context, and shared vocabulary (Reed et al., 1990). Therefore, to improve your fingerspelling comprehension, slow down or replay videos, pay attention to the topic, and use your prior knowledge to help anticipate key words that may be fingerspelled
Try to "read" the overall shape of the fingerspelled sequence, known as its movement envelope, instead of identifying one letter at a time (Akamatsu, 1982)
Face your fears Fingerspelling is hard, but don’t avoid it or wait until you feel fluent to get out and use it It’s okay to ask someone to fingerspell something again. You will improve both your understanding and your production by interacting with Deaf people.
Fingerspelling is a highly versatile and important skill that sets a child up for success in communication, literacy, and academics While learning to fingerspell may seem overwhelming, most signers are willing to accommodate varying levels of fingerspelling ability within conversations
Parents can model a growth mindset for their children as they invest time, effort, and grace with themselves to use and improve their fingerspelling skills.
About the Authors
Dr. Brittany Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Chapman University. Her research explores how deaf and hard-of-hearing children develop language and literacy skills, with a focus on how speech-language pathology services can support their communication goals
Dr. Kristen Secora is an assistant professor of Communication Disorders at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her work centers on supporting children’s language development and perspective-taking skills, particularly through the lens of effective speechlanguage pathology practices.
References are available at https://tinyurl.com/FingerspellingReferences.
For more information, visit our websites to find additional resources and learn more about our research
Check Brittany out at coala-lab org You can find Kristen at tiny utk edu/SLP Research Lab or on Instagram @slp research lab
“Fingerspelling is a highly versatile and important skill that sets a child up for success in communication, literacy, and academics”
School’s Out, SignUp’s In!
Mariella Satow | Founder, SignUp Media
SignUp is a free Chrome extension that provides sign language interpretation for movies and TV shows on streaming platforms Mariella Satow, SignUp’s creator, explains how and why she founded the company, and we learn how schools are using SignUp in their classrooms
I created SignUp in 2021 during the pandemic when I was in high school Like many people, whilst remote schooling during lockdown, I decided to learn something new, and I started taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes Many members of my family have hearing loss, but no one has learned how to sign When learning Spanish, I watched Spanish soap operas to learn more vocabulary, but when I looked for movies or TV shows to practice sign language, I discovered none. Initially, I thought SignUp could be an educational tool for people who are learning ASL like me. However, learning about Deaf culture, I realized closed captions do not work for Deaf kids who cannot read or read fast enough, or for Deaf adults for whom sign language is their first or preferred language. I was staggered to find streaming content so inaccessible and that no one had created a solution. I remember checking ‘Moana’ and seeing it was produced in nearly 50 languages but not sign language I love and respect the representation of Disney dubbing it in Ōlelo Hawai‘i for the 28,000 Hawaiian people who speak it, but let’s also include the 500,000+ people who use ASL!
My main motivation to form SignUp came from learning that 90% of Deaf children have hearing parents, and 70% of those parents do not learn to sign for various reasons
Discovering families could not enjoy watching movies together, I was inspired to create an alternative to closed captions and provide sign language interpretation for streaming platforms too I started SignUp with money I made dog walking! I walked a lot of dogs and made a few thousand dollars – enough to employ a developer to design SignUp and a sign language interpreter Working with focus groups from the Deaf community to launch a prototype with three Disney movies, SignUp went viral overnight, and I was fortunate to receive a lot of great press, starting with an article in ‘Variety’ magazine the day after I launched.
I am so grateful for the warm welcome I received from the Deaf community, which motivated me to grow SignUp. The interpreters have been an enormous part of our success, and they have become friends and allies. We have created hundreds of hours of content with them and have new releases regularly We started with ASL and now also produce content with British and Indian Sign Languages I took a gap year after high school to develop SignUp and raise a pre-seed round One of our key investors has a Deaf brother, and he recalls them watching cartoons together in the 1970s and feeling sad that his brother did not understand the jokes Serving investors who care deeply about what we are creating is very rewarding SignUp has a pretty
incredible team behind it Our Acting CEO is Harriet Seitler, who was Oprah Winfrey’s CMO for 25 years, and she cares passionately about our mission. With her support, I work on SignUp from Stanford University, where I am a sophomore. I am thrilled to share that SignUp has just been accepted into Stanford’s Emergence accelerator, marking an exciting step forward as we scale and refine our strategy.
We have over 300 movies and TV shows available on SignUp. We strive for accurate representation and matching the right interpreter to the right movie. For example, we have Black interpreters for ‘Princess and The Frog’ and ‘Wish,’ a Native Hawaiian interpreter for ‘Lilo and Stitch,’ and a Japanese interpreter for ‘Big Hero 6 ’ Going even further, we focus on matching personality and skill sets when assigning movies, like the Deaf chef who interpreted ‘Ratatouille ’ We recently launched ‘Inside Out 2’ – simultaneously in American, British, and Indian sign languages on the day it launched on Disney+ Our dream is to work with streamers to help them provide this accessibility for each new release
SignUp is being used in classrooms all over America and beyond, and teachers for the Deaf have given us invaluable input and support We recently asked teachers to complete a survey to tell us how they use SignUp and what content they would like. Over 150 teachers replied, and Angie McSwain, SignUp’s Global Interpreter Manager, has been working through the responses:
‘We heard from teachers who regularly use SignUp in their classrooms and encourage their families to use it at home too. This has helped families learn new signs together, and teachers say students watching with an interpreter show an increase in vocabulary and an ability to describe the plot of what they have watched Teachers and educational interpreters are relieved that they no longer have to interpret whole movies for their students! They value the exposure to a variety of interpreters that SignUp offers, so the students do not just see their teachers and interpreters! Students prefer the interpreter on screen so they don’t have to keep looking between the screen and the interpreter We learned that they use SignUp during indoor recess, on fun days, and on movie nights ”
Sydne Sackel, from Suder Elementary School in Clayton County, Georgia described using SignUp during the pandemic: “It definitely helped, because of COVID, lunchtime required the students to eat lunch in our classrooms daily, and I would allow them to watch Disney+ with SignUp, anything and everything you had!”
Looking ahead, we now have an extensive wish list of content teachers would like to use to support the curriculum and their students, and we will be working more on this. Our team is inspired by messages from teachers, like this one:
“I have students who have NEVER watched any movies because there is not an interpreter available. SignUp has changed the game!” ’
We love getting requests, and ‘The Magic School Bus’ was on many teachers’ wishlists. We launched the first season with ASL, and it has been our most popular launch at SignUp ever – even more than Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour! J”odi Miller, a teacher from Minnesota, wrote to us about one of her students, EJ, who is on the autism spectrum and loves ‘Octonauts ’ We interpreted some episodes, and Jodi said that EJ started referencing the signer as soon as he started watching them He loves screen time, and SignUp helps build his ASL receptive skills and helps with his severe language delays We heard from another teacher who asked us to interpret ‘Mr Holland's Opus’ for a student in her drama class who was working on a character study The school interpreter could not do an entire movie, so we interpreted it for him and shared it with all our SignUp users We often get requests for movies of books children study in class, and have produced interpretations for modern classics like ‘Holes,’ and ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ We recently commissioned ‘Wonder’ and plan to do more of these books to support the curriculum.
Unfortunately, we also hear from teachers who cannot access SignUp for their students. Larry Goldberg, SignUp Advisor and former Head of Accessibility of Yahoo explains: “At this time, SignUp’s interpreting service relies on classroom availability of the movies and TV shows from streamers such as Netflix and Disney+ and others Schools not only need subscriptions to those services but also need not to block those services on their in-house networks ‘Fair use ’ principles can apply if schools are concerned about copyright issues, but even more essential for students who rely on sign language are the Federal and state requirements for accommodations and accessible educational environments ” Responding to our survey, teacher Jami Macdonald explained the importance of access to ASL interpretation for students: “What some school boards do not understand is that Deaf children watching something (even non-academic in nature) with ASL interpretation is educational for them because they have widely been language-deprived in all other areas of their lives. And even more critical because it is incidental learning
which most Deaf students miss out on in their first critical young years and incidental learning is what facilitates synapse connection in the brain and cognitive development ” Over the next few months, we plan to work with schools and districts to illustrate how important it is to give students the necessary access
It has been three and a half years since I launched SignUp, and we are now providing extensive media accessibility on streaming platforms for use in homes and schools. We have users all over the world and as far away as New Zealand and the Republic of the Congo. We still have much to learn and big plans to develop more (yes, we hear you on mobile devices!), but I am really proud of what we have achieved so far. SignUp was a simple idea that became a reality with my dog walking money and working at the kitchen table – and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share it with the Deaf community
“My main motivation to form SignUp came from learning that 90% of Deaf children have hearing parents, and 70% of those parents do not learn to sign for various reasons. ”ll
LANGUAGE PROFILES AND PLANS FOR
Multimodal- Multilingual Communicators
by:
Jodi L Falk, PhD
St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf
Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCSCL Language First
Janelle Brown, MS, CCC-SLP
St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf
Abstract
This article describes the development and implementation of Language and Communication Profiles (LCP) and Plans for Deaf, DeafBlind and Deaf Disabled (DDBDD) students at St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf (SFDS) within a MultimodalMultilingual framework A myriad of modalities supports and accommodations as well as the ease of use for practitioners were all considered as the LCP and plans were developed Professional learning and programmatic shifts were important variables that contributed to the success of the implementation of LCP and Plans The result is a unique and interactive LCP and Planning Process for a diverse DDBDD student population offered free of charge to the larger Deaf Education community.
Language and Communication Profiles and Planning
Practitioners in Deaf Education have been developing Language and Communication Profiles (LCP) and Plans for their students for many years (Nover, 2000; Silvestri & Falk, 2023). These Profiles and Plans “help educators and therapists understand students’ linguistic abilities, tailor teaching strategies to individual needs, create inclusive environments and group students appropriately” (St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf, n.d). LCP and Plans from an ASL/English-Visual/Auditory Bimodal-Bilingual framework are already in existence (Nussbaum et al., 2012; Wainscotta & Spurgin, 2024).
The team at SFDS used Bimodal-Bilingual LCP and Plans as an exemplar model and expanded it to include Multimodal (i e , Visual, Auditory & Tactile) and Multilingual (i e , ASL, TASL, English, Tangibles, PECS & Devices) communication Many students at SFDS are diverse in their communication modes and languages in that they may also utilize one modality for receptive language and a different modality to express themselves Additionally, students’ communication preferences are fluid and may vary across different settings
and communication partners. For example, a student may utilize a different communication mode when they are with a teacher, with a peer in the classroom, with a peer in a social situation, with an adult in a social situation, or with a therapist in a therapeutic session. All these points of data were determined via curated assessment tools, recorded on the student profiles and then used for determining groupings and language of instruction for content areas each period of the school day.
Multi- Year Action Plan
Professional Learning
Prior to implementing LCP and Plans at SFDS, it was essential for staff to be trained in and experienced with the diverse communication methods used in multimodalmultilingual education The school partnered with Pyramid Educational Consultants to certify the teachers and speechlanguage pathologists (SLPs) in the systematic application of Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) as well as in transitioning to mid and high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices Perkins School for the Blind helped SFDS develop and implement visual-
symbols, and T-ASL was integrated into the intervener training with New York DeafBlind Collaborative (NYDBC) and teacher training with Perkins. An Auditory-Verbal consultant was brought on to fine-tune auditory and spoken English instruction.
In addition to communication modalities, a foundational need for the success of the implementation of the Allocation Plans was a solid understanding of instructional models including collaborative teaching and center/station teaching In-house training led by both the Educational Supervisor and Communication and Language Supervisor was provided over several years.
All these professional learning initiatives followed the cyclical practice of training, professional coaching, monitoring with supervision and peer coaching to ensure fidelity and create a school culture of a learning community
Programmatic Shifts
In addition to foundational knowledge that practitioners needed there were school-wide programmatic changes that were necessary to support staff success in using LCP and Plans For example, the location of service delivery for speech-language therapy and other related services on the IEP must be listed as “flexible.” If the location was noted as, “in the therapy room ” this was a barrier to the co-teaching model of instruction as the therapists would not be allowed to push-in to provide their sessions in the classroom. All of the students from SFDS were from the local school district of NYC Public Schools and the CSE representative agreed to make this change to all IEPs. Another variable that promoted success was planning time built into schedules. Supervisors created schedules to allow time for teachers, therapists and support staff to conduct student assessments and time for team meetings to complete the LCP and Allocation Plans Furthermore, ongoing team meeting times were built into the schedules to plan for co-teaching lessons Other shifts in school practices regarding communication included the hiring of Intervener Paras for DeafBlind students and the inclusion of ASL scores with ASLPI and SLPI as part of annual performance reviews for all staff More subtle shifts around the school began to occur as the foundation was being set for a transition to LCP and Plans for Multimodal Multilingual communicators For instance, the revised Communication and Language Philosophy was displayed throughout the school building, AAC stations for PECS books and devices were stationed in the cafeteria and playground and a mural on the playground wall depicting different communication modes was painted by a local Deaf artist.
Transdisciplinary Team
SFDS’s Executive Director and Communication and Language Supervisor (AAC specialist) in collaboration with consultants from Language First, Dr. Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo (Bimodal-Bilingual specialist) and Chrissy Morris (AuditoryVerbal specialist) comprised the LCP team The team members were teachers of the Deaf and SLPs, with expertise in the different communication modalities but flexible and collaborative in their philosophical approaches, as they understood that each DDBDD student was in a different place in the continuum of communication and language development. The transdisciplinary team met regularly with the goals of developing a MultimodalMultilingual LCP, Assessment List, Allocation Plan template and a Procedural Guide. The team asked for input from related service providers (i e , OTs, PTs, SLPs, TVIs) and support staff (i e , audiologist, nurse, O&M) and teachers throughout the development process to ensure that all equipment, supports and accommodations that DDBDD students may need were included The result was a curated assessment tool list organized by modality, a digital LCP with drop down menu options, and a guide with step-bystep directions with embedded links to tools and documents, as well as a Language and Communication Allocation Plan template.
Pilot Year
When the staff returned for the 2022-2023 school year, Language Profiles and Plans for Multimodal-Multilingual Communicators were ready to be rolled out A full-day professional learning session was conducted by the LCP Transdisciplinary Team which included background information, demonstrations and hands- on learning activities in small groups With support, the staff tried out the use of the LCP and the Allocation Plan The team encouraged the school staff to provide feedback so that the documents could be further revised as they were used in real time Throughout the pilot year, staff provided feedback The LCP team met regularly to review the feedback and revise all the documents to address concerns raised by staff. Additionally, to support other educators and practitioners, the team offered the digital LCP, Plan template and Procedures online free of charge on both SFDS’ website (www.sfdesales.org) and Language First’s website (https://language1st.org/).
Lessons Learned in Pilot Year/ Considerations Needed
The review of the feedback revealed two prevalent themes: challenges surrounding inter-rater reliability and timely completion of the profiles and plans
To address the challenge of inter-rater reliability between
the teacher and related service provider in which raters did not agree on communication modality used in a specific setting, it was determined that both raters would observe the student together in a specific setting preferably over the course of 3 days. They collected frequency data by tallying each time a mode was used or accessed The mode used most often by the student in that setting was recorded as the primary mode for expressive language and the mode understood most often was noted as the primary receptive language on the Communication Continuum screening tool
After the initial professional development day, teams were given a due date to complete the LCP. Teams were allotted one-hour time blocks on two separate days, plus 30 extra minutes per student to collaboratively work on the LCP. While teams were given time to draft communication profiles, the specific times they should be working on the profiles, meeting location and classroom coverage schedules were not provided Some teams planned logistics autonomously and completed the profiles on time Other teams had difficulty completing the profiles It was evident that increased support and structure was necessary to ensure that profiles were completed by all teams in a timely manner. The Communication and Language Supervisor in consultation with the Educational Supervisor created a week-long building wide meeting schedule Teams were given one hour per student to generate the LCP and to complete all supporting assessments/checklists Schedules provided dedicated larger blocks of time and assigned teams a specific location separate from the classroom to meet and complete profiles The Educational Supervisor also planned coverage assignments to provide classroom support utilizing other support staff and administrators while the teacher and related service providers were out of the classroom.
Teachers submit monthly Unit Plans and Allocation Plans as well as formal lesson plans when being observed to the Educational Supervisor. Differentiation of lessons by content, product and process now included language and communication.
Educational programming also included professional development (PD) for staff provided by Chrissy Morris and Dr Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo This consisted of all-day presentations at the start of the school year to introduce the staff to foundational concepts related to multimodalmultilingual pedagogy, as well as in-person PD days consisting of observations, debriefs, coaching and
workshops These in-person visits allowed staff to demonstrate how they were implementing their LCPs, Plans, and Allocation Plans, and receive feedback and strategies to aid in their application and use in the classroom.
Deepening our Understanding
The LCP team slowly started to introduce the concept of translanguaging after several years of creating a school environment that separated languages and modes This was intentional as the school shifted away from Total Communication and towards Multimodal- Multilingual Communication to remove previous habits of Simultaneous Communication (SIMCOM) and strengthen the proficiency of the variety of other modalities used by the DDBDD students at SFDS In bilingual environments, translanguaging is the notion that individuals are naturally flexible in their communication exchanges in that they expressive and access language in different modes (Garcia & Cole, 2014). Organically, translanguaging happens with DDBDD students throughout their school day however language planning around this flexible and fluid framework for multimodal multilingual communicators has historically been missing. (Silvestri & Falk, 2023; Swanwick et al., 2016). After four years of immersive professional learning and programmatic shifts in multimodal multilingual practices, translanguaging began to be included in the conversations around language planning at SFDS A full day PD at the return of the 20232023 school year provided by Dr Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo focused on the theory and application of translanguaging followed by three in-person PD sessions for observations, debriefs, workshops and resource support Chrissy Morris continued to do her monthly consultations on auditoryverbal instructional strategies within a translanguaging multimodal- multilingual framework in addition to three Saturdays of family education Janelle Brown continued to lead the communication and language practices throughout the school with monitoring data collection, overseeing collaborative team meetings and ensuring that AAC materials and devices were available for students
Next Steps
Expanding on current practices, our future intention is to have teacher and therapist leaders in the LCP profile and planning process. The goal would be for staff to be less dependent on administrators and to foster a supportive environment for staff to become the gatekeepers and coaches with their peers. Initial steps have started with the introduction of SMARTE- Strategic, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Based, Timebound, and Equitable goals and a peerto- peer coaching model Additionally, SFDS is looking forward to hosting future monthly weekend programs for
for family education while the students enjoy recreational activities. The school wants to grow the pilot program initiated last schoolyear with 3 Saturdays and develop 10sessions (September - June) where families have the opportunity to learn about the variety of communication modalities and be part of the collaborative team that develops profiles and plans
Onward!
References
García, O., & Cole, D. (2014). Deaf gains in the study of bilingualism and bilingual education. In Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity. Edited by H-Dirksen L. Bauman and Joseph Murray Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp 95–111
Nover, S M (2000) History of language planning in deaf education: The 19th century [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. The University of Arizona.
Nussbaum, D. B., Scott, S., & Simms, L. E. (2012). The “why” and “how” of an ASL/English bimodal bilingual program. Odyssey: New Directions in Deaf Education, 13, 14-19.
Swanwick, R , Wright, S , & Salter, J (2016) Investigating deaf children’s plural and diverse use of sign and spoken languages in a super diverse context Applied Linguistics Review, 7(2), 117–47
Silvestri, J., & Falk, J. L. (2023). A transition to multimodal multilingual practice: From SimCom to translanguaging. Languages, 8, 190.
St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf (n d ) Retrieved August 15, 2024 https://sfdesales org/languagecommunication-profiles-planning/
Wainscotta, S D , & Spurgin, K (2024) Differentiating language for students who are deaf or hard of hearing: A practice-informed framework for auditory and visual supports. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 55(2), 473-494.
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