Webinars

Language Built on Purpose: ASL Immersion for Deaf Students with Language Deprivation
$39.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, August 23, 2026 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Kim is the owner of Language First and is receiving payment for presenting.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Kim is a member of ASHA, ABCLLD, and ABDHHS.

Course Description:

Language deprivation is not solved by simply surrounding a child with ASL. It requires intentional, structured, and experiential teaching that bridges conceptual gaps and builds true linguistic competence. This session unpacks what purposeful ASL immersion might look like for students who do not yet have a complete first language (L1). Participants will explore intentional language instruction, including concept anchoring, experiential learning, structured repetition, and explicit language modeling. Through lesson plan examples and practical demonstrations, attendees will gain strategies for designing purposeful immersion environments that actively build language. Practical tools will be shared so participants leave ready to implement immediately.

Agenda

4:00-4:15: Immersion framework and possible year-long structure

4:15-4:45: Foundational concepts behind ASL immersion for students with language deprivation

4:45-5:30: Sample case studies and lesson plans

5:30-5:50: Teamwork: making a lesson plan together!

5:50-6:00: Discussion, Q&A

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. State the difference between ASL exposure and intentional language instruction

  2. Identify instructional shifts necessary for students with language deprivation

  3. Design at least one lesson that intentionally builds conceptual understanding and linguistic structure

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Read to Your Deaf Child, Because Nobody Else Will (with Some Exceptions)
$39.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, September 13, 2026 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Will benefits from the sale of his book, The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual, and is receiving payment from Language First for presenting.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Will is the father of a Deaf child. He sits as a volunteer on the board of California Educators of the Deaf (CAL-ED) as director of family involvement, and on EHDI's Parent to Parent advisory committee as a co-chair. Additionally, Dr. Ofori-Sanzo, founder of Language First, contributed a forward to his book.

Course Description:

This presentation will be a multimedia overview of books as essential tools for child-rearing. It will detail the benefits of story time for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) kids and their parents. These benefits get into areas of cognitive, linguistic, and social development that go way beyond literacy. Covering from birth to early elementary, it will include an extensive review of children's literature with a bibliography of more than 80 titles, highlighting the many ways books can support growth and connection in families.

Agenda

4:00-4:05: Introduction

4:05-4:15: Books as a parenting tool

4:15-4:30: Raising a deaf reader

4:30-4:45: Barriers to reading

4:45-4:50: The horde of books

4:50-4:55: ASL books & books with DHH characters

4:55-5:00: Concept books & counting books

5:00-5:05: Books with word balloons

5:05-5:10: Action books

5:10-5:15: Theory of mind and narrative competence-builders

5:15-5:20: Wordless books

5:20-5:25: Comic books & graphic novels

5:25-5:30: Abject crap

5:30-5:45: Classics of the genre

5:45-6:00: Q&A

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Articulate multiple benefits of reading with deaf and hard of hearing children for parents and caregivers, including the ways books support direct and incidental learning, signed and spoken language development, and critical social-emotional connections

  2. State multiple overlapping strategies to support themselves or the families they serve to regularly read and share books with their deaf and hard of hearing children

  3. Name multiple book titles that support specific aspects of deaf and hard of hearing children's development

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

*IF YOU ARE THE PARENT OF A DEAF CHILD, PLEASE EMAIL INFO@LANGUAGE1ST.ORG TO WAIVE THE REGISTRATION FEE.

CISIGN Conference
$119.00

The first-ever CISIGN Conference will be held virtually, on Zoom, on October 7, 2026 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Find out more about our CISIGN Campaign here.

SCHEDULE

Wednesday, October 7

9-9:30 | Welcome, Introduction to the CISIGN Campaign

9:30-10:30 | Dr. Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo, Dr. Michelle Veyvoda, & Dr. Amanda Howerton-Fox, The Science of Cochlear Implants and Early Language Development

Session description: Cochlear implants have provided auditory stimulation for some deaf children, but they have not eliminated the need to ensure complete and accessible language acquisition. This presentation reviews current research on cochlear implant outcomes, variability in auditory access, language development, and brain plasticity, while examining persistent misconceptions surrounding spoken language outcomes and signed language exposure. Participants will discuss current controversies in cochlear implant counseling and intervention and consider the ethical responsibility of professionals to prioritize complete language access for every deaf child. The session concludes with practical recommendations and a call to action for clinicians, educators, and early intervention providers.

Agenda:

9:30-9:45: Current research and outcomes for cochlear implants

9:45-10:00: Language development, brain science, and neuroplasticity

10:00-10:10: Evidence for early ASL-English bilingualism

10:10-10:20: Considerations for professionals

10:20-10:30: Q&A

Learner objectives:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe current research regarding language and developmental outcomes for deaf children with cochlear implants.

  2. Explain how brain development, neuroplasticity, and sensitive periods influence language acquisition in children with cochlear implants.

  3. Discuss the rationale for an ASL-English bimodal bilingual approach for young deaf children with cochlear implants.

Speaker disclosures: Dr. Veyvoda and Dr. Howerton-Fox are receiving honorariums from Language First for presenting. Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is the owner and founder of Language First.

11-12 pm | Dr. Sarah Sparks, When Communication Plans Aren't Enough: Developing Multimodal Communication Agility

Session description: Communication planning is a key aspect of overall educational planning for DHH students. School-based team members create individualized communication plans documenting language(s), mode(s), hearing technologies, and various tools that DHH students need throughout the school day for communication. But are these plans enough to enable robust language and communication access at school? And more importantly, in life? Why does communication planning often fail to deliver on its intended goal of consistent access, and what can we do to change that? This presentation will address these questions and propose strategies for building DHH students' multimodal communication agility.

Agenda:

11:00-11:05: Introduction

11:05-11:20: Communication Planning and Its Pitfalls, with Examples

11:20-11:40: What Is Multimodal Communication Agility? with Examples

11:40-11:50: How to Build Multimodal Communication Agility

11:50-12:00: Conclusion and Questions

Learner objectives:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Define the term "multimodal communication agility."

  2. Describe at least 3 pitfalls of communication planning and 3 solutions for these problems.

  3. Apply the concept of multimodal communication agility to case examples of DHH students.

Speaker disclosures: Dr. Sparks is a full-time employee of Baltimore City Public Schools, an adjunct instructor for Gallaudet University, Boston University, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, and Flagler College. She is the founder of Audiology Outside the Box, a member of ASHA, AAA (Accessibility Task Force Chair), and EAA (VP of Online Communications) as well as the DC Speech-Language Hearing Association (CE Administrator) and the Maryland Speech-Language Hearing Association (Director of Audiology). She is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.

LUNCH

1-2 pm | Sara Miller, Listening and Signing: A Cochlear Implant User's Perspective

Session description:

Agenda:

1:00-1:10: Personal background and hearing history

1:10-1:25: Life with a cochlear implant, expectations versus reality, what the implant does and does not provide

1:25-1:40: How sign language changed communication, identity, relationships, and access

1:40-1:50: What professionals and families should know, common misconceptions, advice for supporting deaf children today

1:50-2:00: Q&A

Learner objectives:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe Sara’s lived experience as a cochlear implant user (both the upsides/downsides).

  2. Explain why access to ASL can remain valuable for deaf individuals with cochlear implants.

  3. State how lived experience can complement research evidence when making family-centered recommendations about communication and language development.

Speaker disclosures: Sara is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting. She has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.

2:30-3:30 pm | Dr. Marie Coppola, Language is Central: Early Access to Signed or Spoken Language Promotes Age-Appropriate Cognitive Development

Session description: This large study of 404 deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children (ages 3–10) tested how language modality (signed vs. spoken) and timing of language access (from birth vs. later) affect cognitive and academic development. Across nearly all measured skills—vocabulary, counting, executive function, and even nonverbal tasks—timing of access mattered far more than modality. Children exposed to language from birth, whether ASL or English, showed comparable outcomes, underscoring the need for early, fully accessible language input alongside any hearing technology.

Agenda:

2:30-2:45 Introduction, review of number development in hearing children who have full access to language from birth, study design

2:45-2:55: Results: Development of foundational number concepts in deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children

2:55-3:05: Results: Mapping between different representations of quantity (signed/spoken words, Arabic numerals, objects)

3:05-3:10: Results: Mathematic calculation fluency

3:10-3:15: Results: “Nonlinguistic” tasks

3:15-3:30: Q&A

Learner objectives:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the evidence that timing of language access — not language modality or hearing status — predicts cognitive and academic outcomes.

  2. Identify why cochlear implantation alone cannot guarantee timely language access, and describe the risk this poses during the candidacy-to-activation period.

  3. Apply the study's findings to counsel families and design interventions that support bilingual (signed + spoken) language exposure from birth.

Speaker disclosures: Dr. Coppola receives a salary from the University of Connecticut. Her views on promoting early access to language are based in scientific evidence and lifelong experience in the deaf community, as a CODA.

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Early Language Centers: A New Pathway to Equity for Deaf Children
$0.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, December 6, 2026 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Kim is the owner of Language First and is receiving payment for presenting.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Kim is a member of ASHA, ABCLLD, and ABDHHS.

Content disclosure: This presentation will focus solely on the Language First Early Language Centers (ELCs).

Course Description:

This session introduces a scalable Early Language Center (ELC) model designed to ensure early, robust language access for Deaf and hard of hearing children through bilingual ASL–English development and intentional family involvement. Participants will explore the core components of the ELC model, including Deaf-centered practice, language-rich environments, family coaching, and coordinated services—and how this approach bridges long-standing gaps between early intervention and educational systems. We’ll share how ELCs function as both a clinical and community-based solution, offering a replicable framework that can be adapted nationwide. Language deprivation is not inevitable—it is fully preventable. This session challenges us to move from awareness to action and to reimagine what true language equity can look like for Deaf children and their families.

Agenda

5:00-5:30: Early Language Environments (ELEs)

5:30-6:00: ELEs for DHH Children

6:00-6:40: Early Language Centers (ELCs)

6:40-6:45: Future Directions

6:45-7:00: Q&A and discussion

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Define the core components of the Early Language Center (ELC) model

  2. Explain how Deaf-centered, bilingual ASL–English environments support early brain and language development

  3. Apply key principles of the ELC framework to their own setting

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Interpreting Outside the Box: Lessons for the Neurodiverse Classroom
$59.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, October 4, 2026 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Amanda is receiving payment from Language First for presenting.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Amanda is a member of RID and NAIE. In collaboration with Dr. Laura Polhemus (Bethel University), she is researching neurodiversity in the interpreting profession and runs @SLINeurodiversity on FB/IG.

Course Description:

Neurodiversity has become a hot topic on social media, however, research and discussions have been limited within the interpreting field despite many neurodivergent interpreters and consumers regularly experiencing stigma due to their perceived differences. Systemic barriers within the medical, mental health, and education systems have a profound impact on hard of hearing, d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and DeafDisabled consumers. Specifically, BIPOC students are significantly less likely to receive a diagnosis and more likely to be referred for disciplinary action compared to white students. For Deaf students, access to diagnoses and accommodations is further complicated by the fact that assessments are standardized towards the hearing norm and administered in English. In addition to embracing their intersectional identities, it is critical to gain a better understanding of neurodiversity as a whole in order to address the unconscious bias, stigma, and discrimination.

Drawing from lived experience, professional practice, and research, Amanda will introduce participants to the behavioral, socio-emotional, linguistic, and ethical considerations interpreters encounter while working with neurodivergent hard of hearing, d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and DeafDisabled students in educational settings. As participants examine these considerations and the stigma surrounding neurodiversity, they will also integrate research and best practices to develop strategies for ethical, effective, and neuro-affirming interpreting services as part of the educational team.

Although this workshop is presented from an interpreter’s perspective, teachers, related service providers, and other educational team members are welcome to attend.

Agenda

1:00-1:05: Introduction & Educational Objectives

1:05-1:50: Stigma & Stereotypes

1:50-2:30: Behavioral & Social-Emotional Considerations

2:30-3:00: Linguistic Considerations

3:00-3:45: Ethical Considerations

3:45-4:00: Wrap-Up: Q&A, References & Resources

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Provide at least two examples of how students are impacted by the intersectionality of race, deafness, neurodivergence, and/or other identities.

  2. Describe at least one consideration from each of the following categories: behavioral, socio-emotional, linguistic, and ethical.

  3. Integrate research in order to formulate interpreting strategies to utilize while working with neurodivergent students, including atypical language users, such as teaming, technological resources, and props.

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Strengthening Collaborative Practices within Deaf Education Teams
$39.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Thursday, November 12, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Dr. Willhite is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Willhite serves as the Board President of the Convention of American Instructors for the Deaf (CAID). She is the founder of the Facebook group DeafEd Collaborative, where she promotes her educational consultation services for school districts. She is also the founder and administrator of the Facebook group Educational Interpreters and TODs Working Together.

Course Description:

Collaboration among the Deaf Education team is essential to ensuring equitable access and meaningful educational outcomes for DHH students. This presentation explores how the unique roles of each team member align to support student success and why intentional collaboration is critical. Participants will examine common barriers to effective teamwork, identify information that can and should be shared among team members, and learn practical strategies for improving communication and coordinated service delivery. Attendees will receive tools, templates, and resources that can be adapted to establish collaborative systems tailored to their own educational teams, fostering sustainable partnerships that strengthen student access, participation, and achievement.

Agenda

6:00-6:15: Introduction, presentation objectives, and why collaboration matters for Deaf and hard of hearing student outcomes

6:15-6:35: Roles and responsibilities of Teachers of the Deaf, educational interpreters, and other educational team members, including how these roles align to support student success

6:35-6:50: Common barriers to effective collaboration and strategies for overcoming communication and systems challenges

6:50-7:10: Information sharing among team members—what can be shared, when collaboration is appropriate, and establishing effective communication practices

7:10-7:45: Demonstration of practical tools, templates, and collaborative resources, including examples of how to adapt and implement them to build sustainable systems for your educational team

7:45-8:00: Q&A

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of Deaf Education team members and how their roles align to support DHH students

  2. Identify at two strategies to improve collaboration and communication within your educational team

  3. Describe how one tool, template, or resource from the workshop can be implemented or shared within your Deaf Education team to strengthen collaboration and establish effective team systems

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Felt-Safety: The Foundation for Language Development
$39.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, August 16, 2026 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Steven and Kandice are receiving honorariums from Language First for presenting. Dr. Farmer is the owner of DeafEd Dynamics.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Steven and Kandice have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.

Content disclosure: This presentation will focus on TBRI®.

Course Description:

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at twice the rate of the general population (NCTSN, 2006; Anderson et al, 2016). Compounding risk factors contribute to the relational trauma experienced by DHH individuals, including language development, caregiver grief, access to care and community, timeliness of diagnosis, multiple transitions, and overall family stress (NCTSN, 2006; Rosenzwieg, 2023; Anderson et al, 2016). Additionally, DHH individuals have other intersectionalities that increase the risk of experiencing early relational trauma, such as low socio-economic status, being minorities, being in foster care, being adopted, and being immigrants (Anderson et al, 2016). Toxic stress caused by relational trauma impacts the 5 Bs: Brain, Body, Biology, Behavior, and Beliefs (KPICD, 2023). Research has shown that language deprivation has similar effects (Anderson et al, 2017; Hall, 2017; Rosenzweig, 2023; Signs for Hope, 2025). As professionals working with DHH children, it is imperative to act as investigators to determine the needs behind the behavior and to establish an environment in which children impacted by trauma and language deprivation gain a voice.

Felt-safety is established through implementing environmental changes and using engagement strategies such as predictable routines with visuals, transition warnings, connected rituals, eye contact, nurturing touch, and playful engagement. Maintaining connection and attunement to the child’s needs helps professionals meet needs, preventing challenging behaviors. Regulation is mitigated through sensory-integrative activities and explicitly taught for mental well-being. TBRI® is a trauma-informed, attachment-based practice that is effective with children who have experienced severe and chronic trauma in early childhood. The practices are grounded in years of experience, neuroscience research, and attachment science, which have a profound impact on all individuals. This presentation will specifically discuss the practice of TBRI® with DHH children. In conclusion, we will review available resources to gain a deeper understanding of trauma-informed, attachment-based practices, facilitating further learning.

Agenda

4:00-4:15: Introduction & why we do this work

4:15-4:30: Prevalence of Trauma among DHH populations

4:30-4:45: Impacts of trauma on the brain, body, biology, behavior, and beliefs

4:45-5:00: Intro to TBRI® and Three Pillars of Trauma-Wise Care

5:5:45: Overview & Applications of TBRI® Principles

5:45-6:00: Q&A

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. State the intersection of trauma and deafness.

  2. Explain the impact of trauma experienced by abused and language-deprived Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) children.

  3. Apply trauma-informed strategies to support children throughout their healing process and language development

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Clarifying Federal Guidance on Least Restrictive Environment for DHH Students
$39.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Monday, September 21, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Kym, Carey, and Jeanne are receiving honorariums from Language First for presenting. Kym receives a salary from Worcester State University and consulting fees through Kym Meyer PhD Consulting. Carey and Jeanne are employed by the ASL Education Center.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Kym is a MA State Representative for the Educational Audiology Association and serves on the American Board of DHH Specialists. Carey and Jeanne have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.

Course Description:

When making placement decisions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children, there are often critical misunderstandings about the definition of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). In 2019, a group of frustrated Massachusetts Deaf educators, working in both bilingual ASL/English and spoken language programs, collaborated to summarize the federal policy guidance, research, and best practice guidelines for identifying the LRE for each deaf child. The original summary document, published in 2022, was developed for parents and special education directors in our state, and included a list of resources available in Massachusetts. After publishing, we discovered that professionals across the U.S. were finding the publication equally useful and relevant. However, special education directors in other states -seemingly unaware that Federal guidance applies to every state in the country!- thought these guidelines applied only to Massachusetts, and often refused to consider or apply the findings in their decision-making. Upon learning this, our team went back to the drawing board to rewrite and update the publication with relevant court cases nationwide. In the end, we thought it would be more helpful to create two documents - one designed to be used throughout the U.S., and a second version for our state, which was identical other than the addition of Massachusetts resources. The updated documents were published in 2025, and we are thrilled that they are being used by, and shared with, schools and programs across the country..

Agenda

6:00-6:10: Survey & discuss results

6:10-6:20: Unmasking Deaf Education documentary clip

6:20-6:35: What Does the Guidance Say?

6:35-6:55: Summarize the Document

6:55-7:25: Assessment

7:25-7:45: Resources

7:45-8:00: Q&A

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe key characteristics of the Least Restrictive Environment for a DHH student.

  2. Identify practical tools and resources to support a team decision for appropriate placement.

  3. Identify appropriate assessment tools for evaluating ASL language development.

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

Lost Time, Lasting Impact: Early Language Deprivation Predicts Deaf Children’s Language Development
$39.00

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm ET.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Dr. Zarchy receives a salary from California State University, Sacramento and summer income from Gallaudet University. He is also receiving an honorarium from Language First for this webinar.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Zarchy has no relevant non financial disclosures.

Course Description:

Language deprivation in deaf and hard of hearing children is a developmental emergency, and identifying it early is critical. Yet many families lack clear guidance on whether their child is getting enough language access at home. The Language Access Profile Tool (LAPT) was designed to fill that gap — it helps evaluate how accessible the home language environment actually is for a deaf or hard of hearing child, including in households where both spoken and signed language are used. This study asked a crucial question: does limited language access at home predict whether a child hits key language milestones? The findings have direct implications for early intervention, helping clinicians and educators work with families to identify and address gaps in their child's language environment before those gaps become lasting.

Agenda

6:00-6:10: Introductions and disclosures

6:10-6:30: Background literature - what we already know

6:30-6:55: Methods with brief demonstration

6:55-7:20: Results of this study

7:20-7:45: Discussion and future directions

7:45-8:00: Q&A

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the need to measure the home language environment to better understand language deprivation in deaf children

  2. Identify strengths and weaknesses of the Language Access Profile Tool as a measure of Limited Access

  3. Demonstrate how the present data provide evidence for the predictive validity of the Language Access Profile tool, as evidenced by the link between estimates of Limited Access and the likelihood of missing key language milestones

Registration information:

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. You will receive an email with instructions on how to participate as well as a Google Calendar invite with the Zoom link one week prior to the event. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar. All registrants will receive a copy of the presenter’s PowerPoint and the presentation recording. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

In Person Events

Exploring Bimodal Bilingualism in Deaf Children: A Language First x Raising Bilinguals Conference
$210.00

This conference will be in-person at the Broadbeach Cultural Centre in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia on November 21, 2026 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.

See the full schedule and session descriptions here.

ADVERTISEMENT & SPONSORSHIP

Want to exhibit in-person or support us by becoming a conference sponsor? Find out more here.

GETTING THERE

We recommend flying into Gold Coast Airport.

SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE

Saturday, November 21

7:00-9:00 am | Registration, coffee

8:45-9:00 | Clare Best, Welcome

9:00-10:00 | Dr Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo, Intervention and Instructional Techniques for Deaf Children

10:15-11:15 | Suzanne Robertson,Access Is Not Support: Reframing Deaf Education Through a Language First Lens

11:30-12:30 | Julia Murphy, Because of Auslan

12:30-1:30 | Lunch at the venue

1:30-2:30 | Dr Karin O'Reilly, Seeing Minds: Language Access, Brain Architecture, and the Social Lives of Deaf Children

2:45-3:45 | Dr Ramas McRae, The Association Between Early Life Access to Communication and Mental Health Outcomes Among Deaf People

4:00-5:00 | Dr Erin West, Using Data to Ensure Language Equity for Children Who Use Sign Language

5:00-5:15 | Closing, giveaways

This is a digital purchase only; no physical ticket is provided. A form will populate for you to complete your registration and then your purchase will be added to your cart in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Please email info@language1st.org with any questions.

PLEASE NOTE: All prices are in USD. Given the current exchange rate, the price is calculated at approximately 298 AUD, though the final amount may vary slightly depending on the rate at the time of processing.