Age-Expected Language and Academic Outcomes for Deaf Children With Hearing Caregivers

Abstract

While deaf children learning American Sign Language (ASL) from deaf caregivers generally develop along typical trajectories, some have been skeptical that deaf children who have hearing caregivers—the majority of deaf children—can similarly benefit from ASL exposure. This study tracked ASL fluency and academic achievement among a large sample of children for 4 years. Children with hearing caregivers who entered the school before age 3 (i.e., participated in early intervention) reliably had comparable academic achievement to deaf children who had deaf caregivers. The relationship between early entry and academic achievement was partially, but not entirely, mediated by increased ASL skills. The results should assuage concern that deaf children with hearing caregivers cannot benefit from sign language–focused bilingual education and instead illustrate that early bilingual education can have long-term benefits for academic growth.