“Signed Language Communication Challenges Considering Language Exposure”
David Quinto-Pozos, Ph.D.
Professor, Linguistics
University of Texas at Austin
This presentation will consider linguistic profiles of school-aged deaf and hard of hearing children who present with signed language communication challenges. An overview of previous research on the types of communication challenges that have been documented for deaf signing children and adults will serve as an empirical foundation for considering the perspectives of US-based professionals (ASL specialists, teachers, SLPs, audiologists, school psychologists, etc.) who work with school-aged deaf children. A critical question considering communication challenges that will be considered is whether children with language deprivation (i.e., delayed and/or limited exposure to a signed language) might exhibit communication profiles that are similar to those children who have communication challenges despite having had robust exposure to a signed language from infancy.