Lexical noun phrases in texts written by deaf children and adults with different proficiency levels in sign language

Purpose This article examines whether syntactic and vocabulary abilities in American Sign Language (ASL) facilitate 6 categories of language-based analogical reasoning. Method Data for this study were collected from 267 deaf participants, aged 7;6 (years;months) to 18;5. The data were collected from an ongoing study initially funded by the U.S. Institute of Education Sciences in 2010. The participants were given assessments of ASL vocabulary and syntax knowledge and a task of language-based analogies presented in ASL. The data were analyzed using mixed-effects linear modeling to first see how language-based analogical reasoning developed in deaf children and then to see how ASL knowledge influenced this developmental trajectory. Results Signing deaf children were shown to demonstrate language-based reasoning abilities in ASL consistent with both chronological age and home language environment. Notably, when ASL vocabulary and syntax abilities were statistically taken into account, these were more important in fostering the development of language-based analogical reasoning abilities than were chronological age and home language. We further showed that ASL vocabulary ability and ASL syntactic knowledge made different contributions to different analogical reasoning subconstructs. Conclusions ASL is a viable language that supports the development of language-based analogical reasoning abilities in deaf children.

Download Full-text

Deaf Children’s Concept Formation in Mathematics

Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology ◽

10.1891/194589505787382685 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 375-376

Author(s):

Elsa Foisack

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Concept Formation ◽

Concept Maps ◽

Deaf Children ◽

Large Variability ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Time To Learn ◽

School For The Deaf ◽

Bilingual School

The question of why deaf children have difficulties in learning mathematics is the basis of this study. The aim of the study is to illuminate deaf children’s concept formation in mathematics by describing how some deaf children express themselves and act on their way towards understanding two basic concepts: the concept of multiplication with whole numbers and the concept of length.Theories developed by Feuerstein are used in order to describe how deaf children develop concepts, and to investigate possibilities to help deaf children develop their cognitive potential in a more effective and adequate way. Concept maps illustrate steps and pathways taken by the pupils. The importance of language in concept formation, with focus on sign language is illuminated.The children in this study were pupils in a School for the Deaf, a bilingual school with the languages Swedish Sign Language and Swedish. Seven 11-year-old pupils, all the pupils in one group in grade 4, were studied. Video recordings were made of pupil-teacher interactions in problem solving situations in sign language only, with paper and pencil, with learning materials, and with real things.A large variability in the pupils’ ability to solve the problems was found depending on different factors identified by Feuerstein, e.g., self-confidence, looking for meaning, search of challenge, intention to finish the work, and use of known facts. No difference was found concerning the steps towards comprehension of the concepts for the deaf pupils in the study compared to those of hearing pupils. In accordance with earlier studies, it was found that the deaf pupils needed more time to learn mathematics than hearing pupils normally do. As a consequence, they may learn certain concepts at a later age, and the pathways towards comprehension may vary compared to those of hearing pupils. The structure of sign language and the lack of an established terminology in mathematics are also of importance.The bilingual situation for deaf pupils is a reason for developing methods of teaching mathematics to deaf pupils alternative to methods used today.

Download Full-text

A Study of Acquisition Process of Japanese Sign Language in Preschool Deaf Children

Japanese Journal of Sign Language Studies ◽

10.7877/jasl.16.1 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 16 (0) ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Fumiko Aso ◽

Wataru Takei

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Deaf Children ◽

Acquisition Process ◽

Japanese Sign Language

Download Full-text

Modifying and validating the social responsiveness scale edition 2 for use with deaf children and young people

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243162 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0243162

Author(s):

Barry Wright ◽

Helen Phillips ◽

Ann Le Couteur ◽

Jennifer Sweetman ◽

Rachel Hodkinson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Social Responsiveness Scale ◽

Deaf Children ◽

Social Responsiveness ◽

Deaf People ◽

Delphi Consensus ◽

The Social ◽

Test Retest Reliability

A Delphi consensus methodology was used to adapt a screening tool, the Social Responsiveness Scale– 2 (SRS-2), for use with deaf children including those whose preferred communication method is sign language. Using this approach; 27 international experts (The Delphi International Expert Panel), on the topic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in deaf people, contributed to the review of item content. A criterion for agreement was set at 80% of experts on each item (with 75% acceptable in the final fourth round). The agreed modifications are discussed. The modified SRS-2 research adaptation for deaf people (referred to here as the “SRS-2 Deaf adaptation”) was then translated into British Sign Language using a robust translation methodology and validated in England in a sample of 198 deaf children, 76 with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and 122 without ASD. The SRS-2 Deaf adaptation was compared blind to a NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guideline standard clinical assessment. The area under the Receiver Operating (ROC) curve was 0.811 (95% CI: 0.753, 0.869), with an optimal cut-off value of 73, which gave a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 67%. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient was 0.968 suggesting high internal consistency. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.897, supporting test-retest reliability. This performance is equivalent to similar instruments used for screening ASD in the hearing population.

Download Full-text