A língua gestual e o ensino de surdos: uma reflexão sobre as práticas bilingues

Abstract

The cognitive, linguistic, communicational, social and cultural development of deaf children depends on the early acquisition of a language, preferably the Portuguese Sign Language (PSL). If these children are exposed to this visual-gestural language from an early age, their acquisition and mastery will occur naturally, which will facilitate all their future learning. However, most deaf children are the children of hearing parents, and thus lack early access to PSL, which may lead to poor school performance. Through a critical review of the literature and the responses currently implemented in Portugal, we intend to discuss the acquisition of PSL and the roles played by early intervention services, the family and the Bilingual Education Reference Schools highlighting their specific and complex context that requires specialized teams and practices and the need to work with deaf children and their families so that the student can achieve integral development. The major conclusions that result from the critical reflection address the need for the deaf youth’s family to be integrated into the deaf community, the learning of sign language, the follow-up of the family by the early intervention teams and the reflection on the training of professionals involved in deaf education in Portugal.