Deaf Education Research Articles

Perspectives towards Communication Options among Parents of Children with Hearing Impairment

Introduction Intervention and educational approaches ranging from oral language only to oral language combined with various forms of sign language have evolved. The aim of this study was to understand the choices of language for the deaf/ hearing impaired child for communication by the parents using a survey questionnaire. The objectives were to adapt the questionnaire given by to obtain the information about the choices of communication mode and the process of selection. Materials and Methods Participants included in this study were parents of hearing impaired and deaf children in Bengaluru. Modified and shortlisted 31 questions given to ten teachers of deaf and sign language users for content validation and those suggestions were incorporated. Questionnaire was provided to parents of hearing impaired and deaf children. Results Study showed majority were fitted with devices to help their hearing – hearing aid and cochlear implant and joined oral school for education. Age of Intervention was early only in small number of children. Sign language as a mode of communication was reported in only 20.3% and 59.3% reportedly not used sign language at all. The families that used sign language reported the reason for the choice being ease of use. Regardless of competence of children in oral language, majority of parent’s aspiration was oral language, followed by sign and oral language. Choosing sign language as a primary communication mode is seen in minority of parents. The survey also showed though children are in oral school, mode communication is not always oral. Peer group interaction and interaction with family members require sign and actions-gestures along with oral language. Conclusion The study emphasized the importance of learning oral language and sign language for deaf and hearing-impaired children. Parental concerns revolved around educational opportunities of deaf/ hearing impaired child population may be reduced.

Mindful Parenting: Attachment of Deaf Children and Resilience in Their Mothers.

Attachment and resilience are crucial in parent-child interaction. In this study, we investigated the effect of a mindful parenting program on the attachment of deaf children and the resilience of their hearing mothers. The present study was a semi-randomized controlled trial design. Thirty mothers with deaf children were randomly selected from Deaf School in Tehran, Iran. They were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The intervention group participated in an eight-session mindful parenting program, while the control group did not participate in this program. Both groups completed the Kinship Center Attachment Questionnaire and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the repeated measures analysis of variance test. The results showed that the intervention significantly and positively influenced the attachment of deaf children and resilience in their mothers in the post-test, and the persistence of this effect was maintained in the follow-up stage (p < .001). This study suggests that mindful parenting can promote attachment of deaf children and resilience in their mothers. In addition, the mothers attested to the social validity of the program.

How Well are Young Deaf Children in Early Intervention Doing on their Language Acquisition? An Assessment View

Little is known about the earliest language acquisition of deaf children who have a variety of different experiences. Cochlear implants tend to be implanted between six months to 12 months and often become active around 18 months. In addition, Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) tend to evaluate articulation rather than language acquisition. In terms of evaluating sign language, there are few normed assessments developed explicitly for this modality. Therefore, a joint research project was established with an early intervention program and Lamar University's Deaf Studies and Deaf Education department to evaluate the earliest language milestones acquired by deaf children between birth and five years of age. The project used language assessments developed for parents and teachers in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English, with norms derived from native users of each language. All languages reported as used by the family were assessed. Results found that most families selected spoken language and those results varied across participants. It was found that younger children using spoken language were more likely to demonstrate age-typical language acquisition when compared to older children. As more linguistic complexity developed, older children using spoken language tended to show delays. Future research suggests investigating bidirectional interactions between children, their families, and the broader systems with which the deaf child interacts. Doing so would create a further understanding of the child’s language acquisition and help families understand how to determine if their child’s language acquisition is progressing in a typical manner.

Synthesizing Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory and Deaf Pedagogy Framework Toward Deaf Education Reform: Perspectives From Teachers of the Deaf.

In U.S. deaf education, disablement results from a normative interpretation of disability in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. However, Vygotsky's Fundamentals of Defectology (1993) allows educators to view current deaf education pedagogical practices through a sociocultural-constructivist lens and reject the current remedial special education model. We explore our experience as teachers of the deaf to analyze the current state of deaf education, synthesizing two core areas of Vygotskian research-sociocultural theory and deaf pedagogy-and applying them within a framework outlining characteristics of accessible educational environments that facilitate deaf children's sociocultural and intellectual development. We also examine how special education laws create barriers to implementing Vygotsky's recommendations, then offer practical, actionable solutions based on our sociocultural-constructivist deaf education synthesis. We close with suggestions for systemic change in deaf education that can provide deaf students with equitable, accessible educational environments.

From Vicious Circles to Virtuous Cycles: Vygotskian-Inspired Conclusions for Biomedicine and Deaf Education.

In this concluding article of an American Annals of the Deaf Special Issue, we draw on Vygotsky's Fundamentals of Defectology to argue that the essence of deaf pedagogy is not centered on constructing deaf students' hearing abilities but on a biosocial orientation that considers the whole multimodal child with unfettered access to natural signed languages. In alignment with this biosocial view, we recognize and resist the overarching influence of biomedical professionals and systems on deaf education. Such biomedical influence comes with convenient detachment from accountability in education systems while arguably causing at least significant, if not maximal, harm to the optimal developmental outcomes of deaf children. The article ties together the articles of the Annals Special Issue, along with additional Vygotskian perspectives, to bring forth the emergence and exploration of biosocial accountability in deaf education.

Vygotskian Perspectives in Deaf Education: An Introduction in Two Movements.

Vygotsky's (1993) Fundamentals of Defectology is a radical's handbook of deaf and disability studies. Vygotsky's overall research program views disabilities, including deafness, from an integrated biosocial and critical theory standpoint. In two movements, I introduce an American Annals of the Deaf Special Issue on Vygotskian perspectives in deaf education focused mainly on his Defectology volume. Movement One describes Vygotsky's life, research, death, and posthumous impact by situating his deaf pedagogy research as one node in a network of defectological pedology, translated as applied special educational psychology. Movement Two describes how Vygotsky's project has been extended, synthesized, and developed in modern and postmodern contexts of deaf education and disability studies. Throughout, I synthesize Vygotsky's claims and update his terms by juxtaposing them with contemporary terms and theories to provide sociohistorical context for the new scholarship comprising this Special Issue's unique contribution to Vygotskian deaf research.

Six Arguments for Vygotskian Pragmatism in Deaf Education: Multimodal Multilingualism as Applied Harm Reduction.

Deaf education research and practice have not always lived up to the ideal of improving deaf students' lives. Consequently, we have constructed novel arguments supporting deaf pedagogy using pragmatic ethics, the aim of which is to increase benefit and decrease harm to individuals and society. The ideal of harm reduction asks the pragmatist to pursue the path of action least likely to result in injury to others. Besides applying ideas that reduce harm, educators must also increase benefits for deaf students. Our analysis synthesizes Vygotskian perspectives on deaf pedagogy and pragmatic ideals about reducing harm and increasing benefit. We propose six arguments that can enable deaf educators to think about and enact deaf-positive concepts and strengths-based classroom interactions, including the use of sign language, images, and text, among other modes, such as speech. Our goal is to reduce the threat of harm from language deprivation.

Vygotskian Resonances With the African Worldview of Ubuntu for Decolonial Deaf Education.

The African worldview of Ubuntu predates Vygotskian theory, but the Ubuntu view that the community defines the person aligns uncannily with Vygotsky's biosocial proposition and contemporary conceptions of deaf ontology and epistemology. Unlike prevailing Euro-American thought, Ubuntu accentuates the view that it is not any physical or psychological characteristic of the individual that defines personhood. Instead, Ubuntu aphorisms, the containers of meaning in African epistemology, indicate that the reality of the communal world is at least equal if not superior to individual life histories. The author teases out similarities between Vygotskian thought and Ubuntu, illustrating deaf children's development along a different axis, facilitated by a holistic, diversified biosocial process in which neither their deafness nor disability indicates inferiority or coloniality. Grounded on the African principle No language is complete without other languages, the present article contributes to a nascent indigenous theorization of contemporary deaf education.

Finding Vygotsky in Early Childhood Deaf Education: Sociocultural Bodies and Conversations.

Children, including those who are deaf, become aware of and learn about their environments through playing and social and cultural interactions. For most deaf children, preschool classrooms are optimal spaces for these interactions to occur, but only if they can fully engage with this environment. We discuss the need for and constituent aspects of full access to learning in these environments for deaf children. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory is employed chiefly as the basis for exploring and analyzing useful strategies for educators and families of deaf children. Our analysis focuses on processes in which individuals create knowledge through interacting with other people and the environment, a core emphasis of our work. We also discuss that, concomitant with full access to linguistic and social opportunities, deaf preschoolers develop a stronger sense of self, which leads to the development of cultures and languages in and out of their families.

Evaluating the accessibility of higher education programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in the Arab countries

The opportunity to pursue higher education (HE) can greatly affect an individual's success in later life, but students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) face different challenges than their hearing peers when seeking a university degree. In addition, the acquisition of HE is more significant for this population as it can provide these learners with opportunities to develop skills that improve their ability to integrate into the overall hearing society. We investigated HE programs in the context of DHH students in Arab countries through mixed methods research that employed exploratory sequential design. The target Universities were eight of the top 10 Arab region universities, as ranked by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) for 2022. We examined documents and interviewed 12 administrators at the eight institutions. In addition, 34 faculty members at the universities participated in a survey designed to obtain their perceptions regarding existing provisions for DHH students. Our investigation found that some Arab universities have recently launched programs to support DHH students in higher education. However, while Hard-of-Hearing (HoH) students are admitted to most Arab universities in various academic disciplines on an equal basis with their hearing peers, deaf students are only admitted to a few universities, are limited in the majors they are permitted to consider, and their admission is only allowed under strict conditions. From administrators, we found Arab countries have established only moderate requirements for HE programs regarding admitting and accommodating the DHH. Accordingly, we propose a set of mechanisms to improve such programs for DHH students in Arab countries to advance the educational opportunities for this population and establish recommendations on how to improve deaf education overall.

Illuminating the Paradoxes of Deaf Experience: Bowe, Gannon, and Disability

The last sixty years have been a time of tumultuous change in the American deaf community. Two deaf figures who made a great difference during this period were Frank Bowe and Jack Gannon, who passed away in 2007 and 2022, respectively. Bowe was a prominent disability rights leader, helping to secure more rights for deaf and all disabled Americans, while Gannon helped to advance appreciation of deaf signing communities with his advocacy and several influential studies of deaf people who sign. Although they both lived in the second half of the twentieth century and knew each other, they had quite different lives, mostly because Bowe did not attend a school for deaf students or learn sign language until he was an adult, while Gannon grew up in the deaf community. Their memoirs offer a valuable way for us to investigate the details of recent deaf experience. The books illuminate not only Bowe and Gannon's work to make the world a more just place for deaf people, but also the pressure they both experienced to adopt oralism, the importance of parents and educational placement, the liberating nature of sign language, and the move from deaf schools to educational mainstreaming. The memoirs also give differing perspectives on signing deaf people's complicated relationship with concepts of disability, suggesting a way forward.

Reading comprehension strategies used by Chilean deaf adults. A think-aloud study

ABSTRACT This qualitative study aimed to identify and analyse reading comprehension strategies used by five deaf adults, 22–47 years old, who were close to complete or had already completed their studies at a higher education institution. The method chosen was a partial replication of the one used by Banner and Wang (2011) in their think-aloud study to describe cognitive and metacognitive reading comprehension strategies use among deaf students and adults. The present study included similar interview questions and think-aloud procedures, which were conducted by a deaf teacher, native user of Chilean Sign Language (LSCh). Participants read informational texts and were interrupted three times during the reading task to answer questions about their cognitive and metacognitive processes. Results showed that these deaf adults can use strategies from all the categories identified by Pressley and Afflerbach (1995): constructing meaning, monitoring and improving comprehension, and evaluating comprehension. Some strategies described in the study from Banner and Wang were observed only in individual cases, and some of them were not used at all. The deaf participants of this study also used some strategies that were not included in some previous studies. Since very few deaf adults in Chile have completed higher education, the information provided by this study could be useful in guiding interventions aimed to improve reading comprehension in elementary, high school, and college DHH students. The relevance of early experiences with reading, and motivational factors associated to reading achievement are discussed.

Translanguaging in Bilingual Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Programs

Most D/HH learners experience language deprivation because they lack full access to a comprehensible language input. Sometimes, this language deprivation continues through school because of the rigid school language policy and teachers’ failure to recognize and include all the linguistic repertoires which the learners bring. Like many other teacher education programs, some Deaf education teacher preparation programs have adopted assimilationist ideologies, subtractive approaches to bilingualism that focus on only the majority hearing language, English, or the majority Deaf people’s language, such as ASL. Embracing translanguaging improves the implementation of bi/multilingualism in Deaf education by empowering the learner and the teacher to work through these challenges of language deprivation and minority languages in classrooms with Deaf learners. The current article reviews the literature and draws from translanguaging theory and practices, biliteracy, and Crip linguistics to discuss how Deaf education teacher preparation programs can support future teachers in implementing translingual knowledge, skills, and disposition and avoiding linguistic neglect in Deaf learners. In addition, the article will focus on how teachers can value and support the acquisition of all languages beneficial for bi/multilingual Deaf learners to overcome language deprivation and challenges in school.

Interpersonal Communication Of Teacher - Deaf Students In Online Learning

In creating satisfying interactions, it requires interpersonal communication that goes both ways between teachers and deaf students in online learning. This study aims to find out how interpersonal communication occurs between deaf teachers and students in online learning which is studied using symbolic interaction theory in S Public Special Education School Bekasi Regency. This research used a qualitative research method by collecting data through interviews with twelve informants who were divided into key informants and supporting informants, namely six teachers and six deaf students of Public Special Education School Bekasi Regency with data analysis using ATLAS.ti software. The results show that there are three aspects of symbolic interaction in interpersonal communication carried out by deaf teachers and students in online learning, including 1) Mind, resulting in the theme of online learning situations, 2) Self, producing the theme of interaction with children, 3) Society, resulting in the theme of building interaction. These three aspects give rise to four categories, including technical barriers, non-technical barriers, interaction approach strategies, and providing support to children. This research can help provide information about interpersonal communication carried out by deaf teachers and students in online learning.

Translanguaging Framework for Deaf Education

In this conceptual article, the authors introduce the Translanguaging Framework for Deaf Education (TFDE), drawing upon two perspectives on language and learning: crip linguistics and critical translanguaging space. The TFDE is a retheorization of the Language Zone, a pedagogical framework for supporting language learning in deaf education, and is designed to support educators to approach language use and users from an asset-oriented perspective. In line with this stance, the TFDE validates the linguistic resources deaf students bring to the classroom and encourages students’ full use of their communicative repertoires for meaning making, while also working to expand their linguistic resources and increase communicative flexibility. Examples of translanguaging pedagogical practices with deaf students, such as coming to a shared understanding, building metalinguistic knowledge, and honing communication for external audiences, are explained and illustrated through classroom scenarios with deaf students. Readers are also provided with tools for critically analyzing the social context to ensure accessible and equitable language environments for deaf students and to protect spaces for the use of minoritized languages such as ASL.

Multilingual, Multimodal, and Multidisciplinary: Deaf Students and Translanguaging in Content Area Classes

Translanguaging is an approach to the education of multilingual students that has been gaining in popularity in recent years. Translanguaging is defined as the use of multiple languages and modalities during classroom instruction with the express purpose of encouraging and teaching students to use all their linguistic resources to make sense of content and demonstrate their understanding. Though there has been a great deal of research on translanguaging in general, this article focuses on two less-studied areas for translanguaging: the intersection of translanguaging in deaf education and content area education. Here, the authors explore the literature available in the domains of translanguaging and science, translanguaging and deaf students, and translanguaging in science classrooms with deaf students. Using the findings from these articles, the authors present four recommendations for teachers who want to engage in translanguaging in the content areas with deaf students: First, teachers can use both signed language and English (or other written languages) during instruction to expose students to essential concepts in multiple languages. Next, teachers can expose students to discipline and subject-specific written and signed words, as well as colloquial meanings of similar written and signed words (e.g., evidence versus fact versus proof in American Sign Language). Additionally, teachers should attempt to be visually oriented while translanguaging. Finally, we recommend that teachers encourage students to respond to questions or prompts using multiple languages and/or modalities. Implications of each recommendation are explored.

Developing and Evaluating a School-Based Tobacco and E-Cigarette Prevention Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Youth.

School-based programs are an important tobacco prevention tool. Yet, existing programs are not suitable for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) youth. Moreover, little research has examined the use of the full range of tobacco products and related knowledge in this group. To address this gap and inform development of a school-based tobacco prevention program for this population, we conducted a pilot study among DHH middle school (MS) and high school (HS) students attending Schools for the Deaf and mainstream schools in California (n = 114). American Sign Language (ASL) administered surveys, before and after receipt of a draft curriculum delivered by health or physical education teachers, assessed product use and tobacco knowledge. Thirty-five percent of students reported exposure to tobacco products at home, including cigarettes (19%) and e-cigarettes (15%). Tobacco knowledge at baseline was limited; 35% of students knew e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and 56% were aware vaping is prohibited on school grounds. Current product use was reported by 16% of students, most commonly e-cigarettes (12%) and cigarettes (10%); overall, 7% of students reported dual use. Use was greater among HS versus MS students. Changes in student knowledge following program delivery included increased understanding of harmful chemicals in tobacco products, including nicotine in e-cigarettes. Post-program debriefings with teachers yielded specific recommendations for modifications to better meet the educational needs of DHH students. Findings based on student and teacher feedback will guide curriculum development and inform next steps in our program of research aimed to prevent tobacco use in this vulnerable and heretofore understudied population group.

An In-depth Analysis of Topics in Deaf Education in Early Childhood Education

Despite federal mandates of the services and inclusion of students who are deaf and hard of hearing in early childhood there is more discussion and research to be done to support educators and students who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families that they serve in early education. This article is an overview of a collection of eight articles housed within the special issue covering a range of topics related to critical issues in deaf education and early childhood education. These include: literacy and language development; developing and implementing universal design for learning; autonomy, self-advocacy, and self-determination skills; curriculum concepts, theories and philosophies; and assessment of students who are deaf with additional disabilities. The article employs existing research and practices in deaf education, such as newborn hearing screening and language deprivation related to deaf education practices. The authors acknowledge the need for further discussion and research in all areas; however, note this special issue is progress towards filling in gaps in current practices in deaf education within early childhood education.

“Can a snowman have more than three snowballs?” Conducting Project Studies with Young Deaf Children

This study explored conducting project studies with young deaf children in two American Sign Language (ASL) and English bilingual schools for deaf children. Project studies involve teachers’ facilitation of exploration on a topic that interests young children. In projects, children learn by doing, starting with questions based on children’s curiosity about a topic and finding answers to the questions through investigation, field trips, and play. Children then represent their understanding and ideas about the topic in various ways. This study used ethnographic methods by observing specific strategies that teachers used to facilitate deaf children’s learning in multiple early childhood classrooms. The study also included focus group interviews to listen to the perspectives of families and teachers about using the project approach with young children in deaf education. The findings include descriptions of deaf children’s experience conducting projects that took place in both schools. It revealed the benefits of conducting project studies with young deaf children to enhance their learning experiences.

“Will you help me with my homework?”: A Case Use of Visual Methodologies in Research with (Deaf) Children

This is an analysis of a qualitative study and the visually compelling methodology that aimed to create child-friendly/child-inclusive research conducted with deaf children. The researcher engaged in one-on-one and focus group interviews with young deaf children, ages 6 to 12 years old, in signing, deaf schools around the United States. The methodology employed a combination of videos, pictures, and modeling to portray the abstract concept of “research” and participation in research as a means to informed consent and to engage children in the task of considering personal reflections compared to others’ experiences. This article reviews techniques applied and the resulting effect, explicit and implicit, on data generation. The resulting discussion from this study of method provides implications and a recommendation on the implementation of visual-verbal assent in future research with children, specifically deaf children.