2024 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 FULLY VIRTUAL!
Saturday, April 27
9:00 - 10:15 am - The Insidious Link between Ableism and Language Deprivation
Dr. amanada howerton-fox
Course Description:
This presentation will present an argument that the research community is acutely aware of all the potentially negative effects of not signing with deaf children—linguistically, socioemotionally, and cognitively—and of the many positive effects of bilingualism. Yet professionals in the field continue to encourage parents to focus primarily on listening and spoken language and, in some cases, even discourage parents from signing with their children. The explanation offered for this gross disparity between science and practice is the psychological boundary between able and disabled, between normal and abnormal, that prevents us from seeing sign language as the truly invaluable linguistic and cultural resource that it is. Given the intractability of ableism, the presenter argues for going beyond research and training, and using public policy and the law to protect the language rights of deaf and hard of hearing children.
Agenda:
9:00-9:20: Present research findings on the linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional effects of language deprivation
9:20-9:40: Present research findings on the benefits of bilingualism generally, and sign bilingualism in particular
9:40-10:00: Discuss public policy initiatives aimed to help prevent language deprivation
10:00-10:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
State the research findings on the linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional effects of language deprivation
State the research findings on the benefits of bilingualism generally, and sign bilingualism in particular
State public policy initiatives aimed to help prevent language deprivation
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Howerton-Fox is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Howerton-Fox is a founding co-director of Iona University’s Interdisciplinary Advanced Certificate in Working with Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and their Families (IACD), a program centered in the following beliefs: 1) deaf and hard of hearing children are the primary stakeholders in decisions made about their development; 2) all children have the right to accessible language from birth to support their linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional development within loving relationships with caregivers; and 3) multilingualism is an asset and that the development of any language will support the development of all other languages and literacies.
10:45 am - 12:00 pm - language deprivation syndrome
Dr. sanjay gulati
Course Description:
Inadequate early language exposure is commonplace in deaf children. One might expect the results to be simply “delays” in language skills. However, observation of people with language deprivation shows a wide array of effects beyond language, a constellation that the speaker terms “Language Deprivation Syndrome.” These include effects on empathy, emotional regulation, and even bodily coordination. This lecture will seek to tease out the connections between language, perception and thought which underly the observed broad effects of language deprivation, describe how it presents clinically, and discuss treatment strategies.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Gulati is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Gulati has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
1:15 - 2:30 pm - can Deaf Children Read Minds?: Theory of Mind Related to Literacy
Dr. lisalee egbert
Course Description:
One way to examine the social development of Deaf children is to assess their ability to mind ‘read’, known as having a theory of mind. Theory of mind(ToM)refers to one’s awareness of others’ mental states (what they are thinking, feeling, etc.,)and is therefore considered the cornerstone of social intelligence. While the ability to "mind read" sounds like a special superpower, it is actually a critical part of our everyday social interactions. For example, how do you feel when someone tells you about a sad or joyous situation? In these scenarios, we are able to mentally ‘read’ their minds — how they are feeling and what they are thinking, even though it is not our personal situation (although we may relate).The ability to "mind read" is also a critical part of the social development of Deaf children. This presentation will discuss the social development of Deaf children, highlighting the importance of "mind read" and how parents and educators can foster its development.
Agenda:
1:15-1:35: Intro, how do we mind read as adults, what is ToM, why is it important
1:35-1:55: A deeper dive into the parts and importance of ToM
1:55-2:15: What are strategies for implementing, what are strategies broken down into different age groups
2:15-2:30: Wrap-up, Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Define ToM
State the key components for ToM
Describe strategies to support ToM at different age levels
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Egbert is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Egbert has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
