Over the past several decades, the early intervention (EI) model for families of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children has evolved from deficit-based and child-centered to strengths-based and family-centered. The family-centered early intervention (FCEI) model is based on family-systems theory, which emphasizes the central role parents play in…

Language, literacy, and social-emotional skills are important for successful participation in society. These skills develop through interaction with others and through explicit instruction. An important activity to contribute to the development of these skills in young children is shared storybook reading. For deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH)…

Fostering Joy is a movement that began in 2017 to support the intentional practice of looking for and encouraging joyful moments between families and/or caregivers and their children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The aim of Fostering Joy is to spark collaboration among families, caregivers, professionals, and adults who are deaf or hard of…

Even today, with all of the hearing technology and bilingual programs available, many Deaf children arrive at school with severe language delays. With a renewed focus on having Deaf children kindergarten-ready, assessment of language milestones becomes critical as seen in the campaign Child First and the legislation referred to as Language…

Societal views of Deaf people typically stem from a medical or deficit perspective, which then informs educational practices. In contrast, educational settings that embrace a cultural perspective provide visual language and strategies that can benefit all students. This article will address three common myths about American Sign Language (ASL) and…

Brenda Perrodin is a teacher in the Parent-Infant Program at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center's Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES), on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. With a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a master's degree in family-centered early education from Gallaudet…

Tyese Wright and Michelle Banks have very different lives; however, both women are independent, confident, and successful, and both were identified as deaf by the age of 18 months. Perhaps their success is partly a result of their upbringing. Both had parents who learned sign language and who became intimately involved in their education. In fact,…

In this article, Felicia Johnson presents a portrait of her daughter Shelby, who was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at the age of 6 months. At ten months, she was diagnosed as an achondroplastic dwarf, and at 18 months old she was discovered to be missing 50 percent of her myelin sheath. Believing in Shelby's independence, Johnson refused to do…

Shortly after discovering that her youngest daughter was deaf, Amie Stelmack began hearing frightening statistics about children who were deaf. Many people--including professionals--told her about shocking statistics. The statistics indicated that deaf children often did not read beyond upper elementary level. They seemed to suggest that this…

The field of K-12 deaf education today continues to be fractured by ideological camps. A newcomer to the field quickly learns that the controversies related to language, communication, and instructional approaches continue to rage after almost 200 years of contentious debate. Much attention is given to auditory and speech development as well as…

The authors present a positive outlook for deaf and hard of hearing children in meeting the high expectations set before them. Like all children, deaf and hard of hearing children thrive in environments that support and promote healthy ways of thinking. When individuals have healthy ways of thinking, they have what researchers call a "growth…

The goal of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS) is to the conduct of high-quality interdisciplinary research to promote the intellectual, behavioral and social-emotional development and functioning of individuals across educational, familial and community contexts. The Center creates the context for…

The condition of deafness presents a developmental context that provides insight into the biological, cultural, and linguistic factors underlying the development of neural systems that impact social cognition. Studies of visual attention, behavioral regulation, language development, and face and human action perception are discussed. Visually…

In 1999, Mary Brennan wrote "By recognising the child as, in effect, a "little linguist" we are also recognising the power and effectiveness of the child's linguistic capacity" (Brennan, 1999). The recognition of the power and effectiveness of deaf children's linguistic capacity needs to be taken a step further. Focus should be…

While many explanations have been offered for the increased rate of autism, the true cause remains unknown. Nonetheless, in the United States, "diagnoses of autism are increasing faster than any other diagnosis of developmental disability in children." But this statement, like others pertaining to the characteristics of autism and the relevant…