2025 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 Tacoma, Washington.
Tuesday, April 22
2:45 - 4:00 pm - Connecting Worlds: Navigating Family Interactions in Deaf Children's Home Environments
Dr. Oscar Ocuto
Course Description:
Dr. Ocuto will be sharing data from a phenomenological study that explored the home language environments of five signing families with deaf children.The study documented insights into how language use in deaf children's home language environments uncovered family interactions as a fundamental building block to critical thinking skill development.
Agenda:
2:45-2:55: Introduction to home language environments (HLEs)
2:55-3:35: Data and findings from the phenomenological study
3:35-3:45: How to apply this knowledge to inform educational and family practices.
3:45-4:00: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Ingrain an understanding of how family interactions within the home language environments (HLEs) of signing families with deaf children can significantly contribute to the development of critical thinking skills.
Observe data from a phenomenological study, extracting key insights regarding the role of language in shaping HLEs.
State the importance of these insights in fostering the cognitive development of deaf children.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Ocuto is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Ocuto has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
Wednesday, April 23
8:00 - 9:15 am - early language experience wires the linguistic brain: evidence from deaf individuals with varying early language experience
Dr. qi cheng
Course Description:
Deaf individuals are more likely to have restricted early language environments, especially when a fully accessible sign language is not present when they grow up. In this talk, I will discuss the brain anatomical outcomes of deaf individuals with various early language exposure and also focus on the effects on early syntactic development. Neuroimaging studies using surface-based morphometry revealed negative correlations between the age of ASL onset and cortical measurements in crucial language regions. Behavioral studies in American Sign Language (ASL) showed that even basic linguistic structures such as word order are less robust when early language is severely deprived or insufficient. These studies emphasize the crucial role of a rich, early, natural language to wire the linguistic brain, especially for deaf children who are more at risk to reduced language access..
Agenda:
8:00-8:10: Introduction to deaf language environment and the risk of early language deprivation
8:10-8:30: Neural studies on the brain outcomes of early language deprivation
8:30-8:50 Behavioral studies on the language processing outcomes of early language deprivation
8:50-9:00: Implications and future directions
9:00-9:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
State the varying language environment across deaf individuals.
Describe the brain outcomes of early language deprivation.
Describe the language processing outcomes of early language deprivation.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Cheng receives a salary from the University of Washington and is receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Cheng has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
Melissa Mykle received a BA in Child and Youth Care at University of Victoria, and has worked for Provincial Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services (PDHHS) in BC, Canada for over 25 years. She currently is in the role of PDHHS Team Leader, responsible for Outreach Services and the Victory Hill Dorm for the BC School for the Deaf.
Thursday, April 24
9:30 - 10:45 am - What's up in Canada? A Look at BC's System of Early Language Services
lori bell & melissa mykle
Course Description:
British Columbia's early newborn hearing screening program was approved in 2005 and fully rolled out by 2009, more than ten years after all of the United States started universal newborn hearing screening. This presentation will describe how BC, Canada, benefitted from learning from about the EHDI systems of its neighbors to the south. BC also comes with unique challenges, and we will explain about those barriers and share how we are working collaboratively to improve the system for culturally and linguistically diverse populations dispersed over a vast amount of land.
Agenda:
9:30-9:45: Introductions
9:45-10:05: Background: A description of BC and how it developed a wrap-around system based on infant hearing screening
10:05-10:15: Moving forward: A description of where we are headed as a system to achieve best language outcomes, fully advocate for accessibility & inclusion, and honour each family's process
10:15-10:30: Provincial language assessment protocol: Including the D-LEAT as a tool to introduce prevention of language deprivation to parents (includes work with Dr. Matt Hall)
10:30-10:45: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Identify challenges and barriers in BC, Canada in the early language services system for families with DHH children from 0-5 years of age.
Describe one strategy the EHDI program in BC is implementing at the family level, service provider education level, and at the systemic level to improve services and achieve optimal language outcomes for children 0-5.
Name 3 factors to take into consideration about using the D-LEAT with families of children under 3 years of age.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: The presenters are each receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
Content disclosures: The presenters will be discussing the D-LEAT, which was developed by Dr. Hall.
11:00 - 11:30 am - Teaching ASL Handshapes to Families of DHH Infants and Toddlers
dr. deirdre curle, kerianne christie, & krissy walker
Course Description:
This presentation will describe the development of an ASL handshape curriculum designed for providers who serve deaf or hard-of-hearing families of infants and toddlers.
Agenda:
11:00-11:05: Background: Why is it important to teach ASL handshapes to families of DHH children?
11:05-11:12: Literature review: What do we know about handshape development in young children?
11:12-11:20: Outline of method, participants and materials
11:20-11:25: Preliminary outcomes and expected outcomes
11:25-11:30: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Summarize the existing research on handshape development of young DHH children.
State the first 5 ASL handshapes that are typically developed by young children who sign.
Describe approaches, materials, and expected outcomes for teaching young children ASL handshapes.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
11:45 am - 12:15 pm - Connecting Communication: Collaborative Approaches to Multimodal Instruction
peyton pruitt, sarah smith, & jennifer fazer
Course Description:
This presentation focuses on building functional communication and literacy skills for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students through a collaborative, multimodal approach. We will share our experiences working as a team in a regional Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. We will explore the roles of various professionals—including speech language pathologists, teachers of the Deaf, educational support professionals, occupational therapists and physical therapists—as well as families and community organizations. The presentation will highlight effective strategies for scaffolding development of American Sign Language (ASL) and English through multimodal instruction (Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), movement, gestures, and visual supports like drawing, icons, photographs and videos). Authentic experiences will be discussed as vital components for building context to facilitate skill generalization across different activities and settings. Participants will leave inspired to implement practical techniques and collaborative frameworks to support Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in their communication and literacy development.
Agenda:
11:45-11:50: Overview of importance of functional communication and literacy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, prioritizing Deaf perspectives to maximize successful outcomes
11:50-11:53: Understanding multimodal instruction
11:53-11:56: Roles of various professionals, collaboration strategies
11:56-12:03: Authentic experiences and contextual learning
12:03-12:10: Conclusion
12:10-12:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Identify the roles and contributions of various professionals and family members in supporting the communication and literacy development of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.
Apply at least three multimodal instructional strategies, including the use of ASL, spoken language, and AAC, to enhance functional communication and literacy skills in their educational practices.
Create and implement authentic learning experiences that promote the generalization of skills across different settings.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
2:00 - 3:15 pm - Know Better, Do Better: Setting Community-Informed Standards for Working with Signing DHH Children
dr. brittany lee
Course Description:
Dr. Lee will present original research from a pair of studies investigating professional standards for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) children who use American Sign Language (ASL) in the United States. A brief introduction of the history and role of SLPs in working with DHH clients will highlight the motivation for these studies. Then, Dr. Lee will describe the methods for a Delphi study asking experts in Deaf Studies and related fields to offer their recommendations for SLPs working with signing DHH clients. The results include a list of agreed-upon recommendations for SLPs who do and do not specialize in working with this population. After presenting these recommendations, participants will be guided through an activity so they can assess which of these expert-recommended standards they are not currently meeting in their own professional practice and set goals for improvement. Next, Dr. Lee will present the methods from a nationwide survey of practicing SLPs who were also asked which of the expert-recommended standards from the first study they were meeting. The results will reveal strengths of the field in addressing the communication needs of signing DHH children as well areas for growth that we hope to address through future research and clinical education.
Agenda:
2:00-2:10: Introduction, background, and research questions
2:10-2:30: Study 1: Expert recommendations - methods and results
2:30-2:45: Self-assessment activity
2:45-3:05: Study 2: SLP survey - methods and results
3:05-3:10: Conclusions
3:10-3:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Compare expert-recommended practices for SLPs who do and do not specialize in working with DHH children.
Identify 3 expert-recommended standards that they are not currently meeting in their own practice and set goals for improvement.
Describe relative areas of strength and weakness for practicing SLPs working with DHH children in the field at large.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Lee is a full-time, salaried employee at Chapman University and receives royalties from a course in the Language First Learning Library.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Lee is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and California Speech Language Hearing Association.
3:30 - 4:00 pm - Family Immersion Camp for DHH Children 0-5 and their Parents
heather parker & rachella moore
Course Description:
Throughout America, there are many camps, retreats, and events offered to families with a child who have a hearing difference. Less than ten of these events are offered to families with a child who is under the age of 5, even fewer are focused on this specific population when it comes to immersion in ASL. Although some states offer ASL Immersion Camps to adults to improve their ASL skills, there are less than 5 nationwide camps that focus on parents and fostering their child’s early language acquisition for parents who wish to pursue bilingualism for their child with American Sign Language and English. The Statewide Outreach Center utilized mentors from the Deaf Mentor program to host their first Family Immersion Camp. This is an event for families who are participating in the Deaf Mentor program and have a child under the age of 5. Data, testimonials, and input were collected and will be presented to share ideas to help support families with young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This camp aligns with current goals of language acquisition, strengthening communication strategies, and learning about literacy topics related to children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Key takeaways from this pilot program will be shared with the audience.
Agenda:
3:30-3:40: History and idea of Family Immersion Camp
3:40-3:50: How the event was coordinated and structured to emphasize on ASL Immersion for parents
3:50-3:55: Testimonials and key takeaways from the camp
3:55-4:00: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Learn about a statewide event for families pursuing the bilingual-bicultural approach for their young children with hearing differences.
Discuss the importance of DHH adult involvement events offered to families of children with a hearing difference from birth to 5 in their state.
Explain the importance of having events targeted towards families that want to pursue bilingualism for their children birth-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing in their state.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
8:00 - 9:15 am - Intersectionality, Language Deprivation, and You
morgan lee
Course Description:
Language deprivation is the lack of language exposure during a child’s age of acquisition which impacts language development, academic success, and cognitive capabilities. Children from marginalized communities are more likely to suffer from language deprivation and less likely to have instructors who share their cultural background. Transformative classrooms require staff to understand their own positionalities and recognize the intersectionalities of their students. To create these spaces, teachers must take a balcony approach to recognize systemic barriers, biases, and deficit thinking that can negatively affect their students. A culturally responsive classroom can be built using approaches that honor each student. Doctoral research centering the lived experiences and recommendations of BIPOC Deaf practitioners of the Deaf anchor this presentation through a critical framework.
Agenda:
8:00-8:15: Positionality & Intersectionality
8:15-8:30: What is Language Deprivation and who is impacted?
8:30-8:40: Deaf Classroom Data
8:40-9:00: Culturally Responsive Classroom -
9:00-9:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe two ramifications of language deprivation on the academic achievement of DHH students.
Identify their own positionality and recognize at least one potential influence of that positionality in the classroom.
Create at least one strategy that they can bring to their classrooms to create safe, welcoming classrooms for their multicultural students.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Morgan has no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Morgan has no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
9:30 - 10:45 am - Phonological Awareness Instruction in ASL
megan havens
Course Description:
Hearing students typically develop phonological awareness as a foundational literacy skill, but Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students often miss out on this critical emphasis. However, D/HH students can benefit from American Sign Language (ASL) phonological awareness instruction, which can significantly enhance their language and literacy development. Emerging research indicates that ASL phonological awareness instruction supports skills such as vocabulary acquisition. This workshop will explore the components of ASL phonology and present practical strategies to scaffold phonological awareness in ASL across eight key areas for your students.
Agenda:
9:30-9:40: Impact of instruction in ASL phonological awareness & review of traditional phonological awareness skills using spoken English
9:40-9:50: Explanation of the phonemes in ASL
9:50-10:30: Eight skills in phonological awareness using ASL: Explanation of each, how to scaffold, and example activities
10:30-10:45: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
List the 5 parameters of ASL.
Describe ASL phonological awareness skills.
Explain strategies to develop ASL phonological awareness in their students.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Megan receives a salary from St. Rita School for the Deaf and is presenting as part of her role at the school.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Megan is a member of the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf (CAID).
11:00 - 11:30 am - The Science of Reading in Vocabulary Instruction for DHH Students
megan havens
Course Description:
Vocabulary is integral not only to language development but also to the learning process, reading comprehension, and overall academic achievement (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2013). Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students often face vocabulary challenges due to limited opportunities for incidental learning compared to their hearing peers. They may struggle to infer word meanings from print, especially when their reading lacks diversity and repetition. D/HH students benefit from explicit, direct instruction in vocabulary, along with frequent opportunities for practice. In this presentation, participants will learn a systematic approach to teaching vocabulary that incorporates strategies tailored specifically for D/HH learners.
Agenda:
11:00-11:05: Science of Reading approach and D/HH learners
11:05-11:10: Bilingual instruction foundations
11:10-11:15: Protocol for explicit instruction: explanation of 5 steps
11:15-11:20: Model of the protocol with an example vocabulary word
11:20-11:25: Review of key instructional components
11:25-11:30: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
State the main components of the science of reading approach to literacy instruction.
List the steps of an explicit instructional protocol for teaching vocabulary.
Describe evidence-based strategies to support Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students' vocabulary development.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Megan receives a salary from St. Rita School for the Deaf and is presenting as part of her role at the school.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Megan is a member of the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf (CAID).
11:45 am - 12:15 pm - Sign Language as a Human Right: Leveraging International Law to End Language Deprivation
dr. michaela hanley
Course Description:
The presentation will provide a brief survey of the disability rights movement and the resulting body of disability law, the current landscape of language deprivation along with its myriad consequences, international law regarding sign language and people with disabilities, and a call to action.
Agenda:
11:45-11:50: History of disability rights movement
11:50-11:55: US disability law and language deprivation consequences
11:55-12:10: International law & path forward
12:10-12:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Explain context of current audism.
Describe current disability law in the US and consequences of language deprivation.
State how international law can be leveraged to end language deprivation.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Michaela has no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Michaela is a member of RID.
2:00 - 3:15 pm - considerations for working with DHH Children from immigrant families
celena ponce
Course Description:
This presentation will review the immigration process and go over best practices when interacting with immigrant families with DHH children. It will discuss common barriers experienced by the immigrant community as well as ways to overcome those barriers. The presenter will provide resources for professionals to utilize when working with DHH children who come from immigrant families.
Agenda:
2:00-2:10: The immigration process
2:10-2:25: General considerations for interaction with immigrant families
2:25-2:45: Current data and barriers for immigrant families
2:45-3:00: Resources for professionals
3:00-3:15: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Define barriers experienced by the immigrant community.
Describe multiple solutions to these barriers.
State how to find data on DHH communities by area.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Celena serves on the advisory board of Southwest College for the Deaf and is president of the Board of Directors for Hands United. She is also receiving an honorarium from Language First for presenting.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Celena is on the advisory board of Southwest College for the Deaf and is the president of the Board of Directors for Hands United.
3:30 - 4:00 pm - Regional Early Acquisition of Language (REAL) Project
dr. Sarah Honigfeld & victoria haggarty
Course Description:
This presentation will share an overview of REAL and what resources and trainings we can provide. We will also briefly touch on current trends and challenges related to early intervention with deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers. It is critical to make connections within and across the regions to learn from, share, and support each other so that children, families, and their communities thrive.
Agenda:
3:30-3:35: Introduction
3:35-3:45: Overview of REAL regions, mission and vision of the project
3:45-3:55: Current trends and challenges in EI for DHH
3:55-4:00: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Explain language deprivation and what can to be done to avoid it.
Discuss current trends and challenges related to early intervention with young deaf and hard of hearing children.
Describe the work of the REAL national project, including its mission and the resources it offers to families and communities.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant financial disclosures.
Nonfinancial disclosures: The presenters have no relevant nonfinancial disclosures.
