Intergenerational Communication Modes in Deaf—Parented Families

Abstract

We studied intergenerational modes used in fifteen family triads: hearing child, deaf parent, hearing grandparent. We videotaped semi-structured interviews of deaf parents and eldest hearing children, and surveyed grandparents by mail. All the parents were deaf from early childhood, and all but one had attended residential school. We found they used different modes in communicating with family members. Preferred mode with spouse was American Sign Language, but they switched to English-based modes with their hearing parents and offspring. Grandparents’ and hearing offsprings’ communication modes did not match those used by the parents in these families. The former relied on note-writing along with speech or used hearing grandchildren to mediate communication. Offspring used a generic form of sign with their deaf parents; their signing skill appeared to be related to both age and birth order. Deaf parents’ frequent use of signed, spoken, and written English is discussed with reference to literacy in the deaf community. Our findings raise questions about the effect of mismatched language modes on intergenerational relationships in deaf-parented families.