Should All Deaf Children Learn Sign Language?

TLDR

In the U.S., about 10,000 infants are born each year with sensorineural deafness, and deaf children of hearing, nonsigning parents face unique challenges in acquiring language. The study aims to guide parents in weighing the risks and benefits of cochlear implantation and sign language learning for effective communication with their deaf child.

Abstract

Every year, 10,000 infants are born in the United States with sensorineural deafness. Deaf children of hearing (and nonsigning) parents are unique among all children in the world in that they cannot easily or naturally learn the language that their parents speak. These parents face tough choices. Should they seek a cochlear implant for their child? If so, should they also learn to sign? As pediatricians, we need to help parents understand the risks and benefits of different approaches to parent-child communication when the child is deaf [corrected].