Every Deaf child has the right to learn a first language effortlessly.
Language First aims to educate and raise awareness about American Sign Language (ASL)/English bilingualism and the importance of a strong first language foundation for Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children. Browse resources, handouts, events, and intervention activities to make your work as evidence-based as it can be.
What is language first?
Every Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) child deserves a strong first language foundation. Language must be the first intervention for these children and must be prioritized over speech production and listening skills. Language— not specifically oral language, but any language— is necessary for proper brain development.
Promoting oral language at the exclusion of a signed language is one underlying issue. The Language First philosophy is to provide a DHH child with both languages from birth and allow the child to choose which one, if not both, works best for them. Language First serves as an ASL/English bilingualism resource for parents of DHH children and professionals in deaf education and aims to raise awareness about the neurological effects of a late first language acquisition. Browse handouts, videos, and research to help further understanding of the importance of early and accessible language for DHH children.
Language First was born after five years of watching DHH children suffer from irreversible language and cognitive deficits that affected their lives in enormous ways. Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo, the founder, was a speech-language pathologist (SLP) working with these children and was shocked by the blatant miseducation students’ parents received from medical professionals.
It often takes parents and school systems years to realize that these DHH children are not succeeding in mainstream or oral programs. By the time something is done, the child is often past their critical period for language acquisition and significantly delayed in both cognitive and language functions, sometimes exhibiting aggressive behaviors to communicate. Despite being immersed in American Sign Language and making rapid gains, these children often remain delayed, never able to make up for lost language-learning time. If they had been given an accessible language from birth, all of this could have been avoided.
Given this, Language First supports a specific theoretical framework for birth to 5 which places overall cognitive and language development as a priority above speaking and listening skills. Professionals who follow this framework focus on a DHH child’s strengths, rather than their deficits, and always place the child’s best interests first. If you’d like to learn more about the Language First mindset and how you can implement evidence-based practice into your work with DHH children, check out our FiRST Training.
MIssION and core values
The Language First mission is to educate and raise awareness about ASL/English bilingualism and the importance of a strong first language foundation for Deaf and hard of hearing children. This is achieved through educating parents and professionals with current evidence-based information and practice. We offer continuing education events to attend, including in-person conferences and online webinars, as well as professional development and trainings. All parent handouts are free, and parents can apply for free ASL sessions every quarter as well as look up pro-ASL professionals in their state to contact for more information on services in their area. Read our full mission statement here.
Language First also holds three core values at the center of its work: Integrity, Innovation, and Social Justice. Under the core value of Integrity, Language First commits to honest and ethical conduct in all situations. This includes ethics, transparency, and accountability. Under the core value of Innovation, Language First commits to honest and ethical conduct in all situations. This includes passion, creativity, and change. Under the core value of Social Justice, Language First commits to promoting equal access to language and education for all. This includes human rights, access, and inclusion. Read more about our core values here.
Who are we?
What do people have to say about language first?
“Language First stresses the importance of language acquisition rather than relying solely on hearing. Language First also debunks the myths that you have to hear in order to be happy and successful.”
“In a world full of misinformation surrounding deafness, Language First is an extraordinary resource.”
“Not only did Kim provide an evidence-based presentation to our staff members, but she presented the information in a way that was clear, engaging, and non-threatening. This created a space for our staff to have an open dialogue full of questions and comments pertaining to working with our diverse student population. This ultimately has allowed us to explore (and continue to explore) best practices for our students.”
“Kimberly was knowledgeable and engaging throughout the three hour presentation. She came prepared with helpful handouts and video examples of how she uses bilingualism in her daily practice. She answered the therapists questions and concerns, and offered to return for future workshops and collaboration. In my opinion, Kimberly was able to give my department a deeper level of understanding of bilingualism and the unique role of the SLP in a bilingual program.”
“Language First has already helped my family advocate for ASL inside a school system that had zero understanding of deafness and deaf education.”
“Kim is very knowledgeable in her area of expertise and her passion is evident. She takes the time to answer questions during her webinars as well as accepting new ideas and resources from participants. When attending her webinars, Kim is very humble and makes attendees feel as equals. Best of all, she takes hot topics in the field and can explain them in terms all can understand. Her presentations are always presented in an unbiased way and exposing the biased approached in the field unapologetically. She’s a breath of fresh air in the field!”
“As a speech pathology student who is fluent in ASL, Kimberly’s work has been critical in helping me understand language development, multilingualism, cultural competency, creativity, and advocacy. She genuinely listens to the concerns of the community and has inspired me more than any other mentor I’ve had. She has so many resources about language learning and cognitive development that have helped me see how to support my clients in the best ways possible.”
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