Language and Communication
Websites
The purpose of this initiative is to establish formal standards and benchmarks for ASL learning in grades K through 12. The development of these standards are central to helping deaf and hard of...
How Early Intervention Can Make a Difference: Research and Trends
Dr. Beth Benedict presents about the importance of early intervention.
"Can early intervention really make a difference? Join Dr. Beth Benedict for a webinar on what research is telling us...
WFD - International Week of the Deaf
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) announces the 2014,International Week of the Deaf theme: Strengthening Human Diversity. "International Week of the Deaf is celebrated annually by deaf people...
This website documents a young deaf woman and her hearing family's experiences learning American Sign Language.
World Federation of the Deaf - Human Rights
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) provides information about the human rights of deaf people including language and communication.
Video Relay Services (VRS) is a basic telecommunications service that enables people with hearing or speech disabilities who use sign language to communicate with voice telephone users. The sign...
Topics: toddler inflecting ASL verbs, using ASL interjections "hmm" and "aah!", fingerspelling a few more, emerging ASL handshape "T" and more. Language acquisition, phonological acquisition, and...
Parent to Parent: Raising Deaf Kids
This website is made for parents by parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This website has information such as books lists, information on hearing loss by age group, and resources...
Article: Controversy of Learning Sign
An article on the controversy about Deaf children learning sign language.
Learning ASL Suggested Resources
This website includes resources such as an ASL dictionary, tutorials, and information on Deaf culture and literature and art.
This website has educational materials created, published, and distributed that are ASL-English bilingual-bicultural specific.
American Sign Language and the Parent's Role
A resource developed by the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) for learning about American Sign Language (ASL), and its benefits.
Families' Role in Early Intervention
A resource developed by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University was created to assist families with early literacy intervention.
National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
The goal of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management at Utah State University is to ensure that all infants and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and...
“Why Sign? A Life Expedition” takes us on a mother’s journey in embracing her Deaf child’s identity and language.
Tips for Working with Interpreters
Classroom interpreting is more than just knowing how to sign competently. Interpreters must process language quickly and accurately, and they must think about spoken English and sign language...
The Essential Educator on Early Visual Language
Research, notes the education blog site, "The Essential Educator," has indicated that the language areas of the brain have no preference for language input and that the most accessible pathway for...
Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
Housed at Gallaudet University, the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center runs two schools and focuses on improving the quality of education. The Clerc Center is one of VL2's key...
The VL2 center publishes research briefs as a resource for educators and parents. These briefs summarize relevant research findings present recommendations that educators and parents can use when...
Provides an early intervention service targeting infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing, ages 0-5 and their parents. This site offers a web-based curriculum in English and ASL. You...
The Shared Reading Project (SRP) is designed to teach parents, caregivers, and educators how to read with children who are deaf or hard of hearing using American Sign Language, and to use...
ASL Tales (American Sign Language)
This website allows you to purchase stories translated into ASL. This site has been designed specifically to help teach American Sign Language to children.
15 principles for reading to deaf children
This link will bring you to a document talking about 15 principles for reading to Deaf children created by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center.
Books
A fun picture book that plays with ASL handshapes. A wonderful book for children to learn to be creative with language.
Documents
Dr. Kristin A. DiPerri has designed an English-language curriculum specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students.
Games/ Apps/Software
Signed stories (ASL) available for purchase.
ASL Songs and Rhymes DVD
-Professionally Developed
-20 popular children songs translated into ASL
-3 ASL Phonology Poems
-All songs have captioning
-No voice -over...
eMotion Stories - Interactive Bilingual E-Books
This resource includes stories that have been adapted to help hearing parents spend time with their deaf / hard of hearing kids through the use of a fun and educational learning application. The...
This website provides a list of the top 9 writing apps for the iPad to promote children’s literacy skills.
Deaf Babies Use Their Hands to Babble
This article explains that deaf babies begin to babble with their hands before 10 months of age.
Intermingling Languages in Children
Sometimes children who are bi-lingual "intermingle" the two languages. This article explains why this happens in young children who are learning language.
Raising a Deaf Child: Communication and Language Choices
A short article about the language choices hearing parents of deaf children face. Information about the importance of early language learning.
Students at Albert School for the Deaf say being deaf defines them but doesn't limit them
Read about two high school students who share their experience about being deaf.
The Canadian Hearing Society and the Canadian Cultural Centre of the Deaf answer seven frequently asked questions of parents of young deaf children.
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CHILDRENS’ VISUAL COMMUNICATION & SIGN LANGUAGE MILESTONES
This ASL milestones checklist can be used by parents or pre-school teachers to see if their child is developing age-appropriate language. For use for children birth to 4+ years.
“Sharing Results” is a series of occasional papers that describe the results of work undertaken by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center in its three priority areas of literacy, family...
Signing with Babies and Children: A Summary of Research Findings for Parents and Professionals
This paper gives an overview of research findings on the impacts of signing on development and learning for children of all ages and abilities – and provides research supported answers to common...
American Sign Language and Early Intervention
In this article, VL2 lecture series presenter Dr. Kristin Snodden presents an overview on the implications and advantages of early visual language in early intervention in both Canada and the...
Videos
Gallaudet University and the National Association of the Deaf Bust ASL Myths
"Two of the nation's largest ASL supporters team up to prove a number of ASL myths wrong. Doctors routinely tell their patients "facts" about Deafness that have since been proven false or are...
"In 1994, Deaf Artist Chuck Baird was invited to spend a year as the Artist in Residence at The Learning Center for the Deaf. During his time on campus, he created a visual interpretation of Deaf...
Human Rights - The Power of Sign Language
Deaf children have a right to a quality education, like all other children, in a language and environment that maximizes their potential.
Human Rights Watch documented cases of deaf children...
A young boy signs the story "Courdroy".
Dr. Sanjay Gulati of the Cambridge Health Alliance presents a lecture about the serious affects of Language Deprivation Syndrome.
Discovering Montreal’s Vibrant Deaf Culture
This article and video share a young woman's story about learning sign language and the effect it had on her life.
One Deaf Child: Presentation by Rachel Coleman
"In this presentation for Deaf Awareness Week, Signing Time's Rachel Coleman talks about her compelling journey that began when she learned that her daughter, Leah, was deaf."
You can also...
Hearing parents (and brother) talk about learning to use American Sign Language with their deaf daughter.
Dr. Paddy Ladd - Deafhood Pedagogy
"Internationally known Author and lecturer, Dr. Paddy Ladd presented on his most recent research and upcoming book on best practices in classrooms for the Deaf. Dr. Ladd has been identifying...
Five Generations of Deaf Education in One Family!
Meet the Holcombs: Leala Holcomb documents her family's experiences in education spanning five generations.
Watch a father and daughter signing opposites in American Sign Language.
Video of a family showing signs for clothes in American Sign Language.
This video shows a family signing emotions in American Sign Language.
View trailer for an upcoming video storytelling series "Once Upon a Sign" by Dawn Sign Press.
Author Mark Drolsbaugh answers questions about key issues in mainstreaming and deaf education.
Deaf students and their parents share experiences with school.
Furby Boom! As Explained by Deaf Twins in ASL
Deaf twins review the toy "Furby Boom!" in American Sign Langauge.
Deaf Photographer Wins 5-Year Battle to Take Class
From CBC.ca: "10 deaf photographers will soon start a class in photography – after more than five years of struggling to get funding for an interpreter so they would be allowed in the classroom...
Northern Secondary School Bilingual ASL Program
The Toronto school offers a credit course in ASL that puts deaf and hearing students on an equal footing. Northern’s deaf and hard of hearing program celebrates its 50th anniversary in May 2014....
A video that shows some signs for Easter. NOTE: some signs are regional and may be different than what is used in your home deaf community.
Common Errors by Young Children Acquiring a Sign Language
Published on Apr 10, 2014
Researched, signed and produced by Adam Stone.
Early Intervention: the Missing Link
Video that presents research about information hearing parents may be missing upon identification of hearing loss in their infant/child.
Video: Ted Talk - Dr. Joseph Valente - Hearing the Unheard
Dr. Joseph Valente speaks about his experiences being Deaf and how it has made him a 'superhero'.
Video: Alone in a Hearing World
CSS Movies presents "Alone in a Hearing World". Alone in a Hearing World shows true to life scenarios of a young deaf boy growing up in a hearing world.
Video: Charter for French Sign Language
Charter on Deaf Children: Towards a real acceptance of and instruction in French Sign Language.
Supporting Students who are Deaf-Blind
This video gives tips on how to support those who are Deaf-blind.
Video: Two Young Deaf Girls Sign about their futures
Two young girls, Tasha and Ciara discuss their futures in ASL.
Video Review: Teach Me English In ASL
This review of the 7-part video speaks to how to teach English to children through ASL.
Video: Pragmatic Language Learning in ASL
The California School for the Deaf show in this video that pragmatic language is still possible when communicating in sign language - opposite to a large myth about communicating through sign...
Video: The Universal Language May Be Only in Our Minds
UC Berkeley linguistics lecturer Patrick Boudreault, who is deaf, explains that language is a fluid thing that's not just spoken. It's something universal that happens in our minds, whether it's...
This video explains what ASL is, and some common misconceptions about the language.
Video: Deaf Folklore "Tree" Story
In this video, a 3-year-old girl signs the Deaf Folklore “Tree” Story.
Through Your Child’s Eyes: American Sign Language
An engaging video about the importance of language access in the development of children. It explains that for Deaf children, this often means early access to American Sign Language (ASL), which...
Early Intervention: The Missing Link
An inspiring, must-see video from ASLized. English version is available at http://aslized.org/files/2011/12/...
Lessons Learned - History of Deaf Education Part 2
The educational system in Britain that is discussed here has similarities to North America. Please note: you may want to turn on the subtitles, and BSL (British Sign Language) is the signed...
Lessons Learned - History of Deaf Education Part 1
Learning from 400 years of deaf education that affected the world. Regardless of your view oral/signing or mainstream/School for the Deaf – you will find this very educational. Please note: you...
Other
Vibes Magazine Spring/Summer 2014
Read an issue of the Canadian Hearing Society's (CHS) Magazine "Vibes".
Alberta School for the Deaf: Renewed Building and Renewed Vision
Read about the changes at the Alberta School for the Deaf.
An article on the development of ASL Tales for students who are both Deaf or hard of hearing and hearing.
Newspaper Article: Deaf Doctor Graduates
A newspaper article about a Deaf woman, Megan Jack, and her accomplishment of graduating from medical school.
An article on an aspiring jockey who is deaf, Nicolas Sorrell.
Article: Options in Deaf Education — History, Methodologies, and Strategies for Surviving the System
This article discusses the debate over communication methodologies.
Article: Early Language Exposure Aids Deaf Children
This article speaks to early exposure to sign language in addition to spoken language for all deaf children as the best way to maximize linguistic and cognitive skills.
Research Article: Reducing the Harms of Zero Tolerance to the use of alternative approaches
This article describes several harms from the surgery of cochlear implants itself, and argues that, ethically speaking, a standard for success should be cochlear implants measured against hearing...
Research Article: The Flexibility of the Deaf Brain
This article explains the brain processes of deaf people, with and without sign language experience, and how they activate differently when they utilize sign language communication.
Newspaper Article: Benefits of Early ASL
A newspaper article on the recent research of the benefits of learning sign language.