This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is the founder of Language First.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is a member of ASHA, ABCLLD, and serves on the American Board of DHH Specialists.
Course Description:
This presentation explores the early language experiences of Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and examines how these experiences shape long-term developmental outcomes. It will highlight the critical role of early caregiver-child communication, drawing on concepts such as serve-and-return interactions, reciprocal and contingent family exchanges, and fluent, bidirectional conversations, and discuss how these experiences often differ for DHH infants and toddlers. Practical strategies will be shared to help caregivers and professionals create early language environments that foster optimal linguistic, social, and emotional growth for DHH children.
Agenda
4:00-4:20: Typical Language Acquisition
4:20-4:40 Caregiver-Child Interactions
4:40-5:10: Early Language Environments for DHH Children
5:10-5:30: Communication Neglect vs. Language Deprivation
5:30-5:40: Long-term Implications of Reduced Language Access
5:40-5:50: Strategies to Improve Language Access at Home
5:50-6:00: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Define serve and return in early language acquisition
Define reciprocal-contingent family interactions
State at least three strategies that can be used to create linguistic environments where DHH children can thrive
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.
This webinar will be hosted via Zoom for national and international attendees on Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial disclosures: Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is the founder of Language First.
Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is a member of ASHA, ABCLLD, and serves on the American Board of DHH Specialists.
Course Description:
This presentation explores the early language experiences of Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and examines how these experiences shape long-term developmental outcomes. It will highlight the critical role of early caregiver-child communication, drawing on concepts such as serve-and-return interactions, reciprocal and contingent family exchanges, and fluent, bidirectional conversations, and discuss how these experiences often differ for DHH infants and toddlers. Practical strategies will be shared to help caregivers and professionals create early language environments that foster optimal linguistic, social, and emotional growth for DHH children.
Agenda
4:00-4:20: Typical Language Acquisition
4:20-4:40 Caregiver-Child Interactions
4:40-5:10: Early Language Environments for DHH Children
5:10-5:30: Communication Neglect vs. Language Deprivation
5:30-5:40: Long-term Implications of Reduced Language Access
5:40-5:50: Strategies to Improve Language Access at Home
5:50-6:00: Q&A
Learner Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Define serve and return in early language acquisition
Define reciprocal-contingent family interactions
State at least three strategies that can be used to create linguistic environments where DHH children can thrive
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.