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What is it?
The use of spoken English paired with American Sign Language (ASL) has been a practiced often used to support receptive and expressive language acquisition. For example, a renowned SLP, Nancy Kaufman MA, SLP-CCC and her colleague, Tamara Kasper MS, SLP-CCC, BCBA, designed a dual language approach (e.g., Sign & Say, Sign to Talk Nouns, and Sign to Talk Verbs) that supports children with speech and language skills.
Candidates for Use:
This dual language approach (ASL and spoken English) may be a benefit for infants & children with:
Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Receptive and expressive language delay
Hard of Hearing (HOH)
Developmental Disabilities (e.g., ASD, Intellectual Disability)
A Brief Demo
Materials
Sign & Say by Nancy Kaufman MA, CCC-SLP & Tamara Kasper MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA
Sign to Talk Nouns by Nancy Kaufman MA, CCC-SLP & Tamara Kasper MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA
Sign to Talk Verbs by Nancy Kaufman MA, CCC-SLP & Tamara Kasper MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA
Objective
By December 2022, when provided with a desired item or action and with a model of the word and sign (e.g., name of item or action), Angie will imitate the sign/word to obtain the desired item with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions as measured by SLP data collection.
Activity
Sign to Talk Nouns and Verbs
General Rules for Teaching the First Signs from Sign to Talk Nouns and Verbs (2009):
Always say the name of the item three times while teaching each mand.
Do not teach "more," "help," "please," "give me," "potty," or "yes," and "no," as the initial signs.
Prompt levels may change from moment to moment with some signs.
Avoid selecting signs that are topographically similar (e.g., "Cake" and "cookie" have similar hand shapes).
Create a photo album of signs from the same motivational category when teaching initial mands.
Avoid selecting several signs from the same motivational category when teaching initial sign mands. (e.g., Several foods or several pieces of playground equipment).
Avoid signing for the same item repeatedly.
If the learner has poor motor imitation, initially teach 5-8 signs. Never teach only one sign.
If the learner has a moderate motor imitation, begin teaching up to 20 signs.
If the learner has strong motor imitation, teach signs for all reinforcers.
Items or actions that are not target signs should be taught using three echoic trials.
Hierarchical Prompts
Sign-Mand Prompts
Independent - Spontaneous sign
Physical (full or partial) - Move hands
Gestural (model) - Demonstration
Vocal (echoic)
Name of the reinforcer (Ex. Paint)
"Paint"
"Pa"
"tant"
"dant"
"ant"
"a"
Evidenced-Based Practice
Current research supports the simultaneous use of the spoken English language with American Sign Language (ASL). One study by Blanoo-Elorrieta et al. (2018) looked at the brain areas for ASL and English production and determined that there is a "deep anchoring of combinatory processing in these two integrative hubs," offering support "for common neural basis for sign and speech."
Therefore, combining ASL with spoken English may bolster language acquisition and continued skill learning.
References
Blanco-Elorrieta, E., Kaster, I., Emmorey, K., et al. (2018). Shared neural correlates for building phrases in signed and spoken language. Sci Rep 8, 5492. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23915-0
Spoken Speech and ASL Appear to Engage Same Neural Circuits. (2018). ASHA Leader, 23(6), 18. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A543779332/AONE?u=csumb_main&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=996da695
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