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Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children experience systematic barriers to equitable education due to intentional or unintentional ableist views that can lead to a general lack of awareness about the value of natural sign languages and insufficient resources supporting sign language development. Furthermore, an imbalance of information in favor of spoken languages often stems from a phonocentric perspective that views signing as an inferior form of communication that also hinders the development of spoken language. On the contrary, research demonstrates that early adoption of a natural sign language confers critical protection from the risks of language deprivation without endangering spoken language development. In this position paper, we draw attention to deep societal biases about language in the information presented to parents of DHH children, against early exposure to a natural sign language. We outline actions that parents and professionals can adopt to maximize DHH children's chances for on-time language development.

Societal views of Deaf people typically stem from a medical or deficit perspective, which then informs educational practices. In contrast, educational settings that embrace a cultural perspective provide visual language and strategies that can benefit all students. This article will address three common myths about American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf people, and share research-supported pedagogical practices and recommendations on how to be an ally on behalf of Deaf people.

What can be done to ensure that early intervention programs collaborate with deaf adults and provide families with newly identified deaf newborns with immediate and multiple connections with deaf adults? The aim of this article is to review published recommendations for infusing deaf adults in early intervention programs, to highlight the contributions deaf adults make in early intervention programs, and to provide professionals with strategies for collaborating with deaf adults in early intervention programs.

Family-Centred Early Intervention (FCEI), an international congress that meets biannually, concurred that programmes serving young deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children and their families should include D/HH adults when offering family social and emotional support (Principle 4) and engaging in collaborative teamwork with D/HH adults (Principle 8) (Moeller, Carr, Seaver, Stredler-Brown, & Holzinger, 2013). However, to date, there is no known published research investigating roles of D/HH adults in such programmes. This article discusses results from an online exploratory survey distributed internationally with the focus on the support and roles of deaf adults working in programmes serving young deaf children and their families. Forty-eight respondents completed the survey. Findings indicate that the support provided by deaf adults includes educational information and communication support, and that the major roles provided by deaf adults are as role models and language providers. Additionally, respondents reported that families do not have a diverse range of deaf professionals to connect with in early intervention programmes. This article concludes with a call to action for infusing deaf adults in programmes that include Formalisation, Collaboration, Education, and Infusion. For the purpose of this manuscript, the term "deaf" is an inclusive term representing all individuals with various hearing levels and cultural experiences.

This article reports an exploratory study of teacher candidate perception of learning, using video recording in an American Sign Language (ASL) class. Video recording for practice and reflection is relevant to learning ASL, a visual language. One advantage of recording video for learning ASL with mobile devices instead of computers is the larger physical space that can be captured. Thirteen teacher candidates in a graduate program participated, by completing three surveys regarding their experiences with mobile app assignments designed for practicing expressive skills using specific ASL grammatical features. Results showed that 10 out of 12 teacher candidates found app assignments helpful in assessing their own sign skills, and 11 out of 12 found them helpful in clarifying ASL concepts. Nine out of 12 teacher candidates reported increased interest in learning ASL, and 11 out of 13 teacher candidates indicated that their ASL improved due to use of the app.

This article is the sixth in a series of eight articles that comprise a special issue on Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and their families, or FCEI-DHH. The Support Principles article is the second of three articles that describe the 10 Principles of FCEI-DHH, preceded by the Foundation Principles , and followed by the Structure Principles , all in this special issue. The Support Principles are composed of four Principles (Principles 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6) that highlight (a) the importance of a variety of supports for families raising children who are DHH; (b) the need to attend to and ensure the well-being of all children who are DHH; (c) the necessity of building the language and communication abilities of children who are DHH and their family members; and (d) the importance of considering the family's strengths, needs, and values in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the second of eight articles in this special issue on Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and their families, or FCEI-DHH. Five foundational values that guide FCEI-DHH are described, providing an evidence-informed, conceptual context for the 10 FCEI-DHH Principles and other articles presented in this issue. These values are applicable for Early Intervention (EI) Providers and other professionals on FCEI teams, as well as for FCEI-DHH programs/services and systems. The five key values include (1) being family-centered, (2) responding to diversity, (3) involving invested parties, especially families and individuals who are DHH, (4) supporting holistic child development, and (5) ensuring fundamental human rights. These evidence-informed values are considered essential to the effective provision of FCEI-DHH supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the third in a series of eight articles that comprise this special issue on family-centered early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families (FCEI-DHH). It highlights the origins of FCEI-DHH in Western contexts and well-resourced locations and emphasizes the role of culture(s) in shaping FCEI-DHH. This article also cautions against the direct application of the 10 FCEI-DHH Principles presented in this issue across the globe without consideration of cultural implications. Cultural perceptions of decision-making processes and persons who can be decision-makers in FCEI-DHH are explored. Deaf culture(s) and the benefits of exposure to DHH adults with diverse backgrounds are introduced. Structural inequities that impact families' access to FCEI-DHH programs/services and systems, within and among nations and regions, are noted. The need to consider the cultural influences on families is emphasized; this applies to all levels of FCEI, including the development of systems through implementation of supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the fifth in a series of eight articles that comprise a special issue on Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and their families, or FCEI-DHH. The 10 FCEI-DHH Principles are organized conceptually into three sections (a) Foundation Principles , (b) Support Principles , and (c) Structure Principles. Collectively, they describe the essential Principles that guide FCEI for children who are DHH and their families. This article describes the Foundation Principles (Principles 1 and Principle 2). The Foundation Principles emphasize the essential elements of ensuring that families with children who are DHH can access early intervention (EI) and other appropriate supports, as well as highlight the need for provision of EI that is family-centered. Implementation of these FCEI-DHH Principles is intended to improve the lives and the outcomes of children who are DHH and their families around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the first of eight articles in this special issue on Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), or FCEI-DHH. In 2013, a diverse panel of experts published an international consensus statement on evidence-based Principles guiding FCEI-DHH. Those original Principles have been revised through a coproduction process involving multidisciplinary collaborators and an international consensus panel, utilizing the best available evidence and current understanding of how to optimally support children who are DHH and their families. This revision (referred to as expanded Principles) was motivated by the need to incorporate (a) input from family leaders and DHH leaders, (b) broader international and cultural perspectives, (c) new empirical evidence, and (d) research in human development. This Introduction provides an overview of the rationale, purposes, and main content areas to be addressed throughout the special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cochlear implants generated intense debate almost immediately following their introduction in the 1980s. Today, with a vast number of deaf individuals with cochlear implants, the debate about the cochlear implant device and mode of communication continues. Q-methodology was used in this study to explore cochlear implants and language acquisition perspectives within the deaf community. Thirty respondents sorted 33 statements, which were collected from professional literature and mainstream media, into a forced-choice, quasi-normal template. A by-person factor analysis of the Q-sorts revealed 5 model viewpoints: (a) American Sign Language advocate, (b) bilingual advocate, (c) cochlear implant advocate, (d) diverse options advocate, and (e) English visually advocate. Even though the results indicate 5 distinct perspectives, the Q-method also revealed similarities among them. The results also show that there seems to be some agreement on using a bilingual approach, although the perspectives seem to disagree on which language should be acquired first.

Video analysis affords the observer the opportunity to capture and analyze videos of teaching practices, so that the observer can review, analyze, and synthesize specific examples of teaching in authentic classroom settings. The student teaching experience is the prime opportunity during the personnel preparation program in which student teachers have the opportunity to practice the skills they acquired from all the course work and field observations they completed during the program. The use of video analysis as a tool for documenting and evaluating the performance of student teachers during their student teaching placements is one powerful tool for providing feedback and allowing student teachers to reflect on their performance with children in the classroom. This tool can be used to isolate individual moments of teaching excellence, which then can be shared with other student teachers to promote best practices. In the field of personnel preparation of teachers of students with visual impairments, little has been done to catalog and archive video clips that demonstrate best practices for novice teachers to model. With the current shortage of teachers of students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility specialists in the United States, it is incumbent on personnel preparation programs to find creative and cost-effective approaches to increase the number of graduates. Given the huge time requirement for instructors to be physically present when supervising student teachers, the use of video technology provides an opportunity for supervisors to observe students remotely, which can save costs and time, and may ultimately produce more graduates in the field. This article describes the Hunter College Video Analysis of Teaching Project and discusses the factors to consider when establishing a video analysis program--choice of a camera, the sequence of video analysis, and the method for providing feedback to students. (Contains 1 figure.)

Twelve stories were told to four profoundly deaf and hard-of-hearing preschool children, using either pure American Sign Language (ASL), pure Signing Exact English (SEE) II, or SEE II with ASL features and structures. Children participated more during story conditions that were either pure ASL or contained ASL signing. (DB)