2027 Language First Conference
The Language First Conference is an opportunity for professionals who work in deaf education to gather and learn best practices for working with Deaf and hard of hearing children utilizing an ASL-English bilingual approach. This year’s conference is in St. Augustine, Florida.
Tuesday, April 27
12:30 - 1:30 pm - Beyond the Running Record: Rethinking Reading Assessment for ASL Users
Julie Kessluk & Kaycee Rebello
Course Description:
This interactive session will examine current research on reading fluency development among Deaf and Hard of Hearing students who are bilingual in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Participants will explore the use of running records as both formative and summative assessment tools for monitoring reading progress, informing instructional decision-making, and guiding targeted literacy interventions. The session will critically examine the strengths and limitations of traditional running records and fluency assessments when used with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, including students who use spoken English and those whose first language (L1) is ASL. Particular attention will be given to miscue analysis and how bilingual language development influences the interpretation of reading behaviors. Using authentic student work samples, video recordings, and case studies, participants will analyze how reading fluency can be demonstrated across multiple language modalities, including spoken English and ASL. Working collaboratively, participants will examine running records from students in grades K–5 whose first language is ASL and apply teacher-developed rubrics to identify indicators of fluency, language transfer, and metalinguistic awareness. The session will emphasize how these assessment findings can inform equitable, linguistically responsive literacy instruction. Participants will also learn to use assessment data to develop targeted intervention strategies that support bilingual literacy development, vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and overall reading achievement while recognizing and building upon students' ASL language proficiency and bilingual strengths. By the conclusion of the session, participants will strengthen their ability to administer, analyze, and interpret running records for Deaf and Hard of Hearing bilingual learners. They will leave with practical assessment tools, research-informed strategies, and instructional resources that can be immediately implemented to support equitable literacy instruction and improve reading outcomes for students whose primary language is ASL and/or spoken English.
Agenda:
12:30-12:45 | Overview of the use of running records for student who use ASL as their first language
12:45-1:05 | Case example and practice
1:05-1:20 | Discussion implications of new practices
1:20-1:30 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
State the challenges of using running records for student who use ASL as their first language
Describe scoring running records with new fluency rubric devised by presenter and give feedback
Define new implications for their practice
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Julie and Kaycee have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Julie and Kaycee have no relevant financial disclosures.
1:45 - 2:45 pm - How Effective is Early ASL Input if it’s not “Fluent” Input?
Dr. Deborah Chen Pichler & Dr. Diane Lillo-Martin
Course Description:
Optimal language input is often described as accessible, early and high quality. Input from hearing parents who choose to learn ASL with their DHH babies meets the first two criteria: it is both accessible and early. But learning a new language in a new modality is a formidable challenge, and many parents worry that their signing is not fluent enough to provide a solid foundation for their child’s developing ASL. Indeed, the same sentiment is echoed by some early intervention professionals and researchers, who lament “the unavailability (impossibility?) of fluent language models from an early age for deaf children with hearing parents” (Knoors & Marschark, 2012:4). Yet to date, there has been no comprehensive linguistic analyses of the sign language input provided by hearing parents. The Family ASL project is the first to systematically track parents’ development of ASL, as well as that of their DHH children. In this talk, we will provide an overview of our findings, including multiple linguistic analyses of parents’ developing ASL. We will also share results collected from the children and offer a nuanced discussion of the relationship between parent and child development. Overall, our findings are encouraging, demonstrating on-time development by the DHH children in multiple domains, even while their parents are still learning ASL.
Agenda:
1:45-1:50 | Define the concept of “optimal language input” as it has been used in child research and in the media
1:50-2:00 | Summarize existing research on “non-native speaker input”
2:00-2:05 | View selected quotes from hearing parent signers in our project about their experiences learning ASL
2:05-2:35 | Presentation of findings from the Family ASL study on the linguistic qualities of parents’ ASL, the children’s ASL, and the possible relationships between the two
2:35-2:45 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Explain the characteristics of optimal language input
Summarize research findings on the linguistic qualities of ASL input provided by hearing parents
Articulate how findings of the Family ASL project refute the assumption that signed input from hearing parents is insufficient for supporting DHH children’s early sign language development
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Chen Pichler and Dr. Lillo-Martin have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Chen Pichler and Dr. Lillo-Martin have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
Wednesday, April 28
Thursday, April 29
3:00 - 4:00 pm - Read to Your Deaf Kid Because No One Else Will (with Some Exceptions)
Will Fertman
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:
3:00-3:05: Introduction
3:05-3:30: Books as a parenting tool and raising a deaf reader
3:30-3:45: Barriers to reading, ASL books & books with DHH characters, concept books, wordless books, theory of mind and narrative competence-builders
3:45-4:00: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Articulate multiple benefits of reading with deaf and hard of hearing children for parents and caregivers
State multiple overlapping strategies to support themselves or the families they serve to regularly read with their deaf children
Name multiple book titles that support specific aspects of deaf and hard of hearing children's development
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 foreword to his book.
4:00 - 5:00 pm - Book Signing
8:15 - 9:15 am - Making Early Language Work: Learning from Deaf Adults’ Visual Strategies
Dr. Elaine Gale & Dr. Shane Blau
Course Description:
Strong language foundations begin with consistent access to accessible language. When deaf adults interact with deaf children, they naturally use certain strategies to keep children engaged and maximize visual communication. Our research shows that hearing adults can learn how to use these strategies, and that hearing parents’ engagement with their DHH children improves with instruction. This presentation introduces our current visual strategies curriculum (in development) as a way to support DHH children’s language development. During the session, participants will learn about research on visual strategies deaf adults use naturally, analyze visual strategies in video clips, and identify resources for incorporating or teaching visual strategies. The session begins with an introduction to the Family ASL Project and the role of visual strategies in supporting accessible communication, followed by a brief overview of research on visual strategies. Participants will then do a guided analysis activity to identify visual strategies in authentic interactions with DHH children. First participants will watch the facilitators analyze a video example (I Do), then they will work together as a group with another video clip (We Do), and finally they will analyze a video clip independently (You Do). The session concludes with a summary of key takeaways, practical resources for incorporating visual strategies into interactions with DHH children, and time for questions and discussion.
Agenda:
8:15-8:20 | Introduce Family ASL
8:20-8:25 | Describe visual strategies
8:25-8:30 | Discuss visual strategies research with examples from our families
8:30-9:00 | I do (model), We do (example or two with audience), You do (audience self)
9:00-9:15 | Wrap up with summary and resources, Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe research on visual strategies deaf adults use naturally
Identify visual strategies in video clips
List visual strategies resources for families and professionals
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Gale and Dr. Blau have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Gale and Dr. Blau have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
9:30 - 10:30 am - ASL Linguistics in the Classroom: From Language Knowledge to Teaching Practice
Jamila Hubbard
Course Description:
This workshop helps educators go beyond just knowing linguistic terms and shows how to use ASL linguistic concepts in real classroom situations. Participants will look at how phonology, morphology, grammar changes, and visual-spatial features in ASL shape meaning. Through visual examples, group analysis, discussion, and hands-on activities, participants will see how changes in handshape, movement, location, direction, and nonmanual signals can change meaning in ASL. The workshop will also focus on helping participants tell the difference between simply copying a sign and truly understanding the language structure behind it. The workshop links linguistic analysis directly to K–12 teaching. Participants will use a Notice, Connect, Manipulate, and Transfer approach to help students spot language patterns, connect form and meaning, use features onpurpose, and apply what they learn in new situations. By the end, participants will have practical ideas for building ASL linguistic awareness into their teaching, instead of just teaching terms on their own.
Agenda:
9:30-9:35 | Introduction, goals, and connection between ASL linguistics and classroom practice
9:35-9:50 | Phonology in children’s ASL: Noticing handshape, movement, location, orientation, and nonmanual features in children’s productions
9:50-10:05 | From observation to interaction: Distinguishing developmental productions from linguistic patterns and deciding how to model or expand language
10:05-10:20 | Morphology and meaning: Helping children understand how movement, directionality, repetition, and other modifications change meaning
10:20-10:27 | Practical application: Notice, Connect, Manipulate, and Transfer using child-centered examples and activities
10:27-10:30 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Identify and describe the phonological and morphological features of ASL using visual language examples
Analyze how changes in ASL form and structure (movement, directionality, and other linguistic features) involves in grammatical meaning
Apply ASL linguistic concepts to classroom instruction using strategies that support students in moving from noticing language features to understanding and producing them meaningfully
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Jamila is employed by Utah Valley University as an Accessibility Advisor and adjunct instructor. She also works as an ASLLanguage Coach for the IMET Project through Utah State University.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Jamila Hubbard is a Deaf ASL educator and linguist. She has worked in ASL instruction, services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, accessibility, and language development. Her experience and perspective in ASL linguistics and Deaf education shape this presentation.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Embedding Culture: Deaf Mentoring in the Mainstream Classroom
Rhys McGovern
Course Description:
As the academic development of deaf children happens in more and more mainstream classrooms, it can be challenging for deaf students to meet and learn from deaf adults, resulting in cascading difficulties with self-efficacy, self-advocacy, and academic resilience. Through a lens of cultural wealth, Rhys will introduce participants to mainstream deaf mentoring as a response to skill gaps that emerge for deaf students in general education settings. After exploring current deaf mentoring models, case examples will illustrate the benefits of a mainstream deaf mentor for deaf students, their classroom teachers, peers, and school community. By engaging with scenarios from those case examples, participants will be able to chart successful implementation of mainstream deaf mentoring services.
Agenda:
11:00-11:05 | Introduction & background
11:05-11:15 | Cultural and practical modeling gaps for DHH children
11:15-11:25 | Deaf mentoring models and practice data
11:25-11:40 | Case examples
11:40-11:50 | Mentoring implementation (tips and troubleshooting)
11:50-12:00 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Identify 3 areas of developmental vulnerability for mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing children
State 3 ways deaf mentoring services in the classroom can support development of mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students
Describe at least one barrier and corresponding workaround strategy related to mainstream deaf mentoring services
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Rhys has no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Rhys is a member of ASHA and a contracting employee with Deaf Yes! At the UMass Chan Medical School. Rhys runs a private practice providing ASL tutoring, SLP services, family coaching, and consultation for schools and businesses.
2:00 - 3:00 pm - Using Bilingual Grammar Curriculum Assessment Data to Inform ASL-English Bilingual Instruction
Dr. Emily Jo Noschese
Course Description:
This presentation will share findings from a longitudinal study examining how Bilingual Grammar Curriculum (BGC) assessment data can inform ASL-English bilingual instruction for deaf students. Participants will learn about relationships among BGC ASL grammar, English grammar, and writing assessments, patterns of language growth over three academic years, and how curriculum-embedded BGC assessment data can be used to guide instructional decisions and support bilingual language and literacy development.
Agenda:
2:00-2:10 | Why ASL grammar matters in bilingual language development
2:10–2:25 | Assessments of ASL and English grammar
2:25–2:40 | Key findings
2:40–2:50 | Implications for bilingual instruction
2:50–3:00 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe the purpose of the BGC grammar assessments in supporting ASL-English bilingual instruction
Describe key findings from a longitudinal study using BGC assessment data
State how BGC assessment data can support instructional decision-making in ASL-English bilingual education
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Noschese has no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Noschese has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
3:15 - 4:15 pm - Social Determinants of Language Access
Dr. Brittany Lee & Dr. Kristen Secora
Course Description:
In this lecture, we will discuss social determinants of health and their impact on deaf and hard-of-hearing children’s access to language. We will first review existing research on this topic and use the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework to summarize key determinants of language access at the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. Next, we will present data from a survey of DHH adults demonstrating how associations between determinants and language access played out in their lived experiences. We will also present data from focus groups with DHH adults that provide a more in-depth consideration of their lived experiences. We will share conclusions about how these findings can inform more targeted efforts to promote language access and prevent language deprivation. Finally, we will end the session with time for questions and discussion.
Agenda:
3:15-3:20 | Introduction
3:20-3:30 | Defining Social Determinants of Health and Language Access
3:30-3:40 | A review of the research
3:40-3:50 | Survey
3:50-4:00 | Focus groups
4:00–4:15 | Conclusions, Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Summarize social determinants of health that impact language access for DHH children at the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels
Identify social determinants of health that impact language access for DHH children across biological, behavioral, environmental, and healthcare domains
Describe the lived experiences of DHH adults and how social determinants of health affected their access to language
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Lee is a full-time, salaried assistant professor at Chapman University. Dr. Secora is a full-time, salaried assistant professor at UTK.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Lee has no relevant non financial disclosures. Dr. Secora is a Tennessee Speech and Hearing Association (TAA-SLP) board member.
8:15 - 11:15 am - Is BASL fo' Real?
Vyron Kinson
Course Description:
This workshop introduces participants to Black American Sign Language (BASL) through engaging discussion and positive, open dialogue. Participants will explore who uses BASL, when and in what contexts it is used, and where they may encounter it in their professional work. We’ll also discuss the importance of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), while encouraging thoughtful reflection on language, culture, identity, and respectful engagement with the Black Deaf community.
Agenda:
8:15 - 9:30 | BASL History
9:30 - 10:30 | BASL cultural appropriateness, demonstration, and hands-on activities
10:30 - 11:00 | ASL classes offered at HBCUs
11:00 – 11:15 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Explain when, what, why, and how BASL was created and who was involved
Describe the long-time segregation between white and Black folks and how it still exists
Explain the essential role of Black and BIPOC professionals in the ASL and interpreting fields
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Vyron receives a salary from Wellstar Hospital, Georgia State University, and Kenesaw Stat University. He also is the owner of ASL Diagnostic Services, LLC.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Vyron has no relevant nonfinancial relationships.
11:30 am - 12:00 pm - Poster Sessions
Mary Grace Hamme | Deaf Education in Ethiopia
Description:
This poster session will provide an overview of the education and services at Visions Academy for the Deaf in Ethiopia and how this bilingual-bicultural school was founded and grown. It will share about the positive impact it has made on the community. It will also highlight the experiences of volunteers on the annual service trip and share with participants how they can get involved.
Agenda:
11:30-11:32 | History of Visions Global Empowerment
11:32-11:35 | Overview of current programming
11:35-11:37 | Service trip explanation
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe the offerings at Visions Academy for the Deaf in Ethiopia
State the positive impacts of teaching sign language to Deaf students and their families in Ethiopia
Describe the service trip objectives
Mary Grace Hamme | AAC Support Classes for DHH Students
Description:
Currently at TLC, the SLP department runs 5 AAC support classes weekly. Supporting the use of AAC devices in the classroom allows for group-learning, consistent practice, social-pragmatics integration, allows for teachers and aides to gain experience with SLP modeling support, and supports overall awareness raising and generalization. This poster will provide examples of how these classes are run, challenges and successes and ideas for how to implement this in your own schools.
Agenda:
11:37-11:45 | Overview of current programming and types of AAC devices and goals we address
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe different educational tools used in class to support language development and AAC competencies
State how to engage staff in AAC generalization
Describe the importance of using AAC across settings and for different communicative functions
Ariel Baeseman-O'Donnell | Instructor Perceptions of Neurodivergence in ASL Classrooms
Description:
This poster presentation showcases the data collected from a survey of ASL instructors about their perceptions of neurodivergent behaviors in their classrooms at an R1 institution. Participants recalled frequencies of common neurodivergent-linked behaviors in varied levels of ASL courses and provided insight into their classrooms.
Agenda:
11:45-11:55 | Behaviors recalled in each level and the implications for future ASL classrooms
11:55-12:00 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe the perceived presence of neurodivergent students in ASL classrooms
Explain which common behaviors they may see in their classes are frequently linked with neurodivergent condition
Articulate how these observed behaviors may be accommodated for in their ASL classrooms
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Mary Grace Hamme is employed at The Learning Center for the Deaf and is a current contract employee for TLC Global Deaf Foundation. Arielle Baeseman-O’Donnell is a Graduate Teaching Assistant University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Mary Grace Hamme is an Executive Board Member for Visions Global Empowerment. Arielle Baeseman-O’Donnell has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
2:00 - 3:00 pm - Alternative Augmentative Communication for Hearing Parents
Eliza Porter & Geoffrey Porter
Course Description:
Hearing parents of deaf children are told that nobody should teach their child ASL except for native deaf signers. Few hearing parents have access to these models so this becomes a barrier to their learning ASL or providing it to their children. Dictionaries are organized alphabetically and it is sometimes difficult to find the word you want to communicate. Dictionaries are also limited because they do not aid in sentence formation. Sign language curriculums generally teach broad vocabulary and do not have the flexibility to teach the words that a parent might specifically want to express. High tech AAC platforms overcome these barriers allowing parents to build and practice sentences. Join a hearing mother and deaf son as they share their experience with AAC and ASL.
Agenda:
2:00-2:15 | Introduction and my journey as the mother of a deaf bimodal adult
2:15-2:25 | Introducing the concept of high tech AAC with sign language icons
2:25-2:40 | Practice for participants to propose a sentence and navigate to the icons in the AAC
2:40-2:45 | Facilitate downloading the TD Snap platform
2:45-3:00 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Access sentence building tool for sign language
Explain how to navigate the AAC to create 4-8 word sentences
List benefits of AAC platform for sentence building with icons
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Elizabeth and Geoffrey have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Elizabeth and Geoffrey have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures..
3:15 - 4:15 pm - Reforming Outcomes Measurement for Deaf Children in Early Intervention
Marissa Chappell
Course Description:
This presentation highlights the critical flaws in the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF), the primary tool used to assess developmental progress in early intervention (EI) systems, and highlights its discriminatory impact on deaf children. The COSF is built on an audist framework that systematically excludes signed language competence as a valid developmental indicator and fails to account for the diverse developmental trajectories of deaf infants and young children. This foundational bias is particularly harmful for deaf children identified through newborn hearing screening, who often enter Birth to Three services well before typical referral ages. When a deaf child’s development naturally diverges from hearing monolingual norms over time, the COSF produces artificially declining scores that misrepresent genuine developmental progress. These biased measurements undermine family confidence, distort program evaluations, and jeopardize funding for specialized services proven to improve outcomes when initiated early. The session will review COSF’s inconsistent and harmful theoretical foundations, discuss its misalignment with contemporary research on evidence-based assessment of deaf children, and collaborate on achievable reform measures to ensure culturally responsive, linguistically valid evaluation. Implementing these reforms is essential to protecting the civil rights of deaf children and ensuring accurate, equitable EI assessment.
Agenda:
3:15-3:40 | Review content of published policy brief including policy recommendations
3:40-4:00 | Opportunities for improvement or reform of the COSF
4:00-4:15 | Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Identify the audist assumptions embedded in the COSF and explain how its hearing-normative framework excludes signed language as a valid developmental indicator for deaf children
Explain how the COSF produces artificially declining scores for deaf children whose development diverges from hearing monolingual norms, and describe the impact on families, program evaluation, and service funding
Collaborate on actionable reform measures to ensure the COSF is applied in a culturally responsive and linguistically valid way that protects the civil rights of deaf children in early intervention
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Marissa is a per diem SLP for the CT ELC, as well as a clinical SLP engaged in research and clinical practice across several schools for the Deaf and higher education institutions including Rochester School for the Deaf, American School for the Deaf, UCONN, and NTID/RIT for which she receives research support.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Marissa is a hearing early interventionist.
