9th annual Language First Conference
The 2026 Language First conference will be in-person at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown in Knoxville, TN.
What is the Language First Conference?
The Language First Conference is a chance for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), teachers of the deaf (TODs), educational interpreters, educational audiologists, ASL specialists, and any other professionals who utilize an ASL-English bilingual approach to gather and learn best practices for working with Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children. You do not have to be fluent in ASL to attend, as ASL-English interpreters will be provided throughout the conference.
Schedule
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
8-11:30 | Registration check-in and vendor set-up
11:30-12:30 | Leah Geer, American Sign Language Articulation Test (ASL-AT) training
1-4 pm | Kimberly Wolbers, Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) training
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
8:15-9:15 | Leala Holcomb, Applying Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies to ASL/English Literacy Instruction
9:30-10:30 | Bobbie Jo Kite & Christi Batamula, The FLP Tool: Strategies for Multilingual Language Use in Families with D/HH Children
11-12 | Cara Barnett, Examining Signed Language Challenges of Early and Late Exposed ASL Signing Deaf Children
12-2 | Lunch
2-3 | Leah Geer & Razi Zarchy, Breaking Barriers and Building Skills: Family ASL Classes on Campus
3:15-4:15 | Deb Cates & Stacey Morgan, Deaf Language Coach: A Novel Intervention for Supporting ASL Acquisition
4:15-4:30 | Closing, giveaways
Thursday, April 16, 2026
8:15-9:15 | Cecily Whitworth & Caitlin Stueve, Best Practice Anywhere: Remote Coaching for Deaf/HH Families
9:30-10:30 | Kandice Hunt & Steve Farmer, Felt-Safety: The Foundation for Language Development
11-12 | Janaee Cobbs, Navigating Intersectionality: Bilingual Education for Deaf Students in Diverse Classrooms
12-2 | Lunch
2-3 | Elizabeth Martinez, Deaf Adults Learning ASL Later in Life: Implications for Early Language Foundations
3:15-4:15 | Judi Ann Pate & John McMahon, Signacy Before Literacy: Building Bilingual Foundations
4:15-4:30 | Closing, giveaways
This conference is offered for 1.4 ASHA CEUs and 1.4 RID CEUs.
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Past conferences:
2025 - Tacoma, WA
2024 - Virtual
2023 - Natick, MA
2022 - Baton Rouge, LA
2021 - Virtual
2020 - Virtual
2019 - Trenton, NJ
2018 - West Hartford, CT
Future conferences:
2027 - St. Augustine, FL