J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40577237
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This study concerns adult Codas, or hearing children of deaf1, signing parents. They are of significant interest to language researchers as bimodal bilinguals who grew up in a multifaceted bicultural environment. The stu...This study concerns adult Codas, or hearing children of deaf1, signing parents. They are of significant interest to language researchers as bimodal bilinguals who grew up in a multifaceted bicultural environment. The study is based on interviews with 12 Coda adults in Sweden (aged 18-50 years). The interviews were translated, transcribed, and coded for thematic analysis. The analysis draws on the theoretical concepts of social identity and investment proposed by Norton (Norton Peirce, B. (1995). Social identity, investment, and language learning. TESOL Quarterly, 1(29), 9-31 https://faculty.educ.ubc.ca/norton/Norton%201995%20p.pdf.). The main findings indicate that for these Codas, the everyday experience of bimodal bilingualism acts as a driving force in the formation of social identities, fostering linguistic, cultural, and social awareness, which, in turn, influences how individuals invest in their languages and cultures.
Within the Hungarian Deaf minority in Romania, a combination of two distinct types of culturally rooted minority identity occurs, which generates a minority situation at several levels. Our research conducted in a multic...Within the Hungarian Deaf minority in Romania, a combination of two distinct types of culturally rooted minority identity occurs, which generates a minority situation at several levels. Our research conducted in a multicultural city of western Romania (Oradea) aimed to find out what are the prevailing means of linguistic communication within the local Deaf Association community; what are the linguistic communication opportunities available for ethnic Hungarian Deaf community members; and what resources the ethnic Hungarian Deaf employ to maintain and nurture their ethno-linguistic and national identity. The research is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches: questionnaire survey, participant observation within the local association Deaf community, and life course interviews with ethnic Hungarian Deaf. We found that in case of ethnic Hungarian Deaf minority members the sense of belonging to the ethnically heterogeneous local Deaf community tends to override the belonging to the ethnically defined Hungarian Deaf sub-community. While assigning a great importance to their own ethnic identity, Hungarian minority Deaf demonstrate a high capacity and willingness to adapt to the specific sign language communicational mode of the ethnic Romanian Deaf majority in order to gain and preserve full recognition as equal members of the community.
This paper examines the role of Jon Henner's Twitter presence (@jmhenner) as a form of crip activism, exploring how he used the platform to challenge normative ideologies and advocate for justice. Henner's tweets served...This paper examines the role of Jon Henner's Twitter presence (@jmhenner) as a form of crip activism, exploring how he used the platform to challenge normative ideologies and advocate for justice. Henner's tweets served as a medium for public scholarship, connecting many communities and fostering dialogues on the intersection of linguistics, disability, and deaf education. His work, deeply personal and politically engaged, illustrates the potential of social media as a tool for activism and cross-community building. In this paper, we combine historical documentation, ethnopoetics, and personal reflection to honor Henner's legacy and his contributions to redefining the discourse on disability and language. We hope this paper serves as call for continued engagement with Jon, and an example of how we might, together, keep doing ``the work.''.
Deaf education research has long been preoccupied with the literacy levels of deaf students, particularly related to the idea that the average deaf high schooler graduates reading on the fourth-grade level. This statisti...Deaf education research has long been preoccupied with the literacy levels of deaf students, particularly related to the idea that the average deaf high schooler graduates reading on the fourth-grade level. This statistic has been a rationale for countless interventions aimed at improving a so-called performance gap between deaf and hearing students. However, this statistic has also caused harm to deaf individuals, as research continues to frame the reading achievement of this population as a deficit in need of remediation. In this article, we performed a qualitative analysis of 14 articles published in the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education that used research on the fourth-grade reading level statistics as a basis for their work to understand the theoretical frameworks, results, implications for practice, and overall article approach of these works. We found that the majority of these works tended to use a negative, deficit framework for understanding deaf students' reading and made recommendations that maintain a hearing status quo. We close by arguing for research that adopts more revolutionary and evolutionary frameworks that challenge the status quo and support researchers in understanding deaf students' reading development separate from how it compares to hearing students.
This article explores the perspectives on the acquisition and maintenance of heritage sign language in Spain among heritage signers themselves and sign language teachers, focusing on how such perspectives influence the u...This article explores the perspectives on the acquisition and maintenance of heritage sign language in Spain among heritage signers themselves and sign language teachers, focusing on how such perspectives influence the use of a heritage sign language. The data analyzed draws on 22 semi-structured interviews with hearing adults who were children of deaf adults (CODA) and 5 deaf Spanish sign language teachers in Spain. Methodologically, an interpretive approach is applied to the data through a thematic analysis. This study shows that the contrast between the linguistic and communicative competencies of heritage signers and the standard variety taught in sign language courses creates important challenges for both heritage signers and their teachers. The experiences of both learners and teachers involved in the unique practice of heritage sign language education present fundamental insights and raise new questions regarding the transmission and valorization of sign languages as heritage languages.
The Science of Reading (SoR), recently popularized across media, academic, legislative, community, and educational platforms, continues to evolve in its meanings and applications. Perceptions of SoR range from being a mu...The Science of Reading (SoR), recently popularized across media, academic, legislative, community, and educational platforms, continues to evolve in its meanings and applications. Perceptions of SoR range from being a multifaceted construct that incorporates various perspectives and some evidence, as articulated by Goodwin (in Heller, 2022. Taking stock of the science of reading: A conversation with Amanda Goodwin. Phi Delta Kappan, 103(8), 32-36), to a confined set of principles, as proposed in the IMSE Journal, and to a precise body of research, as highlighted by The Reading League in their "Defining Guide" report (The Reading League, 2024. Science of reading: Defining guide. https://www.thereadingleague.org/what-is-thescience-of-reading). In this paper, we engage in a discourse analysis of the text of recent state legislation related to the SoR and raise concerns about the resoluteness of the SoR movement in claiming a particular approach to beginning reading instruction is good for all children. In particular, we consider the assumption that an emphasis on sound-based phonology is a universal prerequisite for literacy development. The case of signing deaf readers is used to illustrate how the political use of research (Weiss, 1979) perpetuates assumptions about literacy development that can be disadvantageous for some. By examining these issues, we hope to illuminate the nuances in literacy development that are neglected in the SoR movement, ultimately allowing us to inform a more comprehensive, inclusive, and effective approach to literacy policy.
We describe here the initial creation and validation of a tool designed to quantify certain unique life experiences of deaf individuals. The Deaf Childhood Experiences Scale (DCES) aims to provide empirical data on uniqu...We describe here the initial creation and validation of a tool designed to quantify certain unique life experiences of deaf individuals. The Deaf Childhood Experiences Scale (DCES) aims to provide empirical data on uniquely deaf life factors with the long-term goal of better understanding education, health, and quality of life outcomes among deaf populations. The methodology involved a mixed-methods approach of qualitative interviews with deaf community members to inform the creation of a quantitative assessment. This first version of the DCES comprises two main constructs-Language and Access, and Belonging-and was validated against Adverse Childhood Experiences questions, revealing a weak but significant correlation (r(568) = .18, p = < .001). The DCES offers a novel approach to better measure, and eventually understand the impact of, childhood experiences of deaf people that are likely salient for quality of life outcomes. Future work includes more validation efforts, plans for American sign language translation, parent and teacher versions, and further item revisions.
This commentary highlights the importance of understanding mental health in deaf populations within the context of language development and access. The authors, who are all Deaf professionals, emphasize that language dep...This commentary highlights the importance of understanding mental health in deaf populations within the context of language development and access. The authors, who are all Deaf professionals, emphasize that language deprivation-not hearing loss directly-is a primary cause of many mental health issues in deaf communities, and advocate for the inclusion of deaf experts in research and publications concerning deaf individuals' mental health.
Hearing people have given their perspectives on deaf1 people and their abilities since antiquity. Recent years have witnessed growth in American Sign Language (ASL) classes as a world language2 in U.S. high schools. This...Hearing people have given their perspectives on deaf1 people and their abilities since antiquity. Recent years have witnessed growth in American Sign Language (ASL) classes as a world language2 in U.S. high schools. This study examines hearing ASL learners' perspectives of the communities and cultures of signing deaf people after they learned about them as a part of their learning of ASL as a world language and assesses the basis on which they develop their perspectives. The N = 217 learners from three northeastern U.S. metropolitan high schools at three different class levels of ASL were asked a question about their thoughts about the signing Deaf communities and cultures. They revealed four perspectives: humanism, pluralism, majority-minority, and no perspective. In addition, the type and distribution of perspectives did not vary across schools and curricula used by teachers and were stable across class levels. Taking coursework did not affect the overall distribution of perspectives among ASL learners at all schools and class levels. A Learner's Social Philosophy Model is proposed to explain the learners' perspectives that are shaped by their social philosophy regarding the nature of humanity, society, and culture.
J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40420388
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Approximately 50% of children first identified with hearing loss present with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing loss (MUHL), but little is known about their functioning in the school years. The purpose of this study...Approximately 50% of children first identified with hearing loss present with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing loss (MUHL), but little is known about their functioning in the school years. The purpose of this study was to examine caregivers' perceptions of their child's functioning and needs at school age. This qualitative inquiry was a follow-up to interviews conducted following the diagnosis of MUHL. Seventeen of the original 20 caregivers participated in this study. The median age of the children at the time of the interviews was 1.0 (8.7-10.7) years. Results represent parents' experiences in four key areas: (a) the challenge of transition, (b) the impact of hearing loss on functional outcomes, (c) the challenges of MUHL, including concerns about "falling through the cracks" and low expectations, and (d) the importance of advocacy. Parents indicated that while their child may not need as much direct support as children with more severe hearing loss, as parents, they still need support and guidance to navigate the educational system. These findings provide valuable insight into parents' perspectives, contribute to our understanding of the impact of MUHL on educational outcomes and highlight the need to ensure that these children are not overlooked.
Vocational identity development is a crucial yet underexplored aspect of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students' education and career progression. This study investigates the role of father involvement in shaping DHH st...Vocational identity development is a crucial yet underexplored aspect of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students' education and career progression. This study investigates the role of father involvement in shaping DHH students' vocational identity, focusing on the mediating effects of internal (self-determination) and external (social competence) factors. Using data from 1,003 DHH university students across China, the results revealed that father involvement significantly enhances vocational identity (β = 2.273, p < .001). Specifically, it positively impacts self-determination (β = 1.810, p < .001) and social competence (β = 0.889, p < .001), both of which independently and significantly influence vocational identity. Self-determination accounted for approximately 57.3% of the total mediation effect, while social competence contributed 28.1%. These findings highlight the importance of internal motivation and external social skills in career development. This study provides valuable insights into how father involvement influences vocational identity through distinct psychological pathways, offering evidence-based recommendations for interventions aimed at enhancing self-determination and social competence to support DHH students' vocational identity development.
J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40384522
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Despite the recognition that deaf children and young people's (CYP) experiences should be central to practice and policy that promotes inclusion, relatively few studies have explored deaf CYP's perspectives concerning th...Despite the recognition that deaf children and young people's (CYP) experiences should be central to practice and policy that promotes inclusion, relatively few studies have explored deaf CYP's perspectives concerning their everyday hearing experiences. This systematic review identified and synthesized qualitative research exploring deaf CYP's experiences of hearing in everyday contexts. Searches identified 31 papers that met the inclusion criteria. Using thematic synthesis to analyze findings, four themes were identified. The experience of hearing was individualised and influenced by the sounds that CYP could hear, the environment, and supportive strategies. Challenging listening conditions and strategies to manage the experience of hearing were identified, which may be considered by parents, practitioners and policymakers. However, due to the multiple factors that influence hearing, deaf CYP should be consulted on what they find challenging and the strategies they find helpful. Further research exploring deaf CYP's experiences of hearing outside of school is needed.
J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40364550
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The main group of interest in this study are deaf parents of hearing children and the aim is to describe the phenomenon of the inverted sandwich generation effect with deaf parents of hearing children. The basic research...The main group of interest in this study are deaf parents of hearing children and the aim is to describe the phenomenon of the inverted sandwich generation effect with deaf parents of hearing children. The basic research framework for this study was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as defined by Smith et al. (Smith, J. A., Larkin, M., & Flowers, P. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. Sage.). Five themes were defined-grandparent help, child help with interpretation and life support, help from neighbors and others, parental dependency, child independence, and interpretation of childhood and parenthood. These themes were interpreted by analyzing data from two groups of respondents-deaf parents and their hearing children (children of deaf adults). The main finding relates to the reverse sandwich model operating within these generations.
This document explored the significant challenges and inequalities faced by the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) population in the Colombian labor market, highlighting key quantitative findings. The analysis, which utilize...This document explored the significant challenges and inequalities faced by the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) population in the Colombian labor market, highlighting key quantitative findings. The analysis, which utilized a representative sample and an economic labor model, revealed significant disparities. One major finding was that the wage gap for DHH individuals was twice as large as for the hearing population, with 97.0% of this gap attributed to discrimination or unexplained factors. The study showed that crucial variables like education, wage, and gender were undervalued in determining working hours for DHH individuals, underscoring systemic discrimination. To address these issues, the document recommends implementing inclusive policies, expanding educational opportunities, and empowering DHH women in the labor market. By promoting legislation that protects the rights of DHH individuals and increasing societal awareness of their capabilities, the document highlights the potential of these measures to improve the quality of life for the DHH population while fostering broader social and economic progress in Colombia.
Subfields of speech/language pathology (S/LP) in the Philippines and around the world are undermined by social notions of normality. Language ideologies of normality undermine developmental language assessment contexts t...Subfields of speech/language pathology (S/LP) in the Philippines and around the world are undermined by social notions of normality. Language ideologies of normality undermine developmental language assessment contexts that concern the diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder relative to developmental language norms. Using my decolonizing theory that is in coalition with Dis/ability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit; Annamma et al., 2013a) and Crip Linguistics (Henner & Robinson, 2023), I reveal how these ideologies facilitate ableist and racist social processes that lead to psycholinguistic injustice. Psycholinguistic injustice can manifest as monolingualism, monomodalism, and oppressive notions of language disorder. Confronting psycholinguistic injustice entails honoring indigenous roots and reclaiming the languaging that was erased by colonization. By confronting psycholinguistic injustice, speech/language pathologists can figure out how to support the legitimacy of multilingual and multimodal languaging development. By resisting psycholinguistic injustice in the field of S/LP, humanizing theories, research, and practices that fundamentally place racial and disability justice can be developed. I conclude with my hopes for what psycholinguistic justice can be.
Deaf education teacher preparation programs (TPP) are essential for ensuring that teachers entering the classroom are equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills for providing effective education to deaf and h...Deaf education teacher preparation programs (TPP) are essential for ensuring that teachers entering the classroom are equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills for providing effective education to deaf and hard of hearing learners. However, research over a decade old already suggested that enrollment, graduation rates, and even numbers of programs has been on the decline even while demand for deaf education teachers remains steady. The purpose of this article was to update our current knowledge in the field of deaf education TPP, including the number of programs still operating, their student enrollment and demographics, their instructor employment, demographics, and areas of expertise. We found that despite a deep need for trained teachers, programs have continued to close since the most recent survey (completed in 2010). We also note a significant demographic mismatch between current faculty leading preparation programs, the pre-service teachers enrolled in these programs, and deaf and hard of hearing students enrolled in PK-12 schooling. These findings indicate the need to push for programs to operate despite relatively small numbers, as well as the need to purposefully recruit diverse faculty and future teachers working in deaf education classrooms.
Identifying specific learning disabilities in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students presents unique challenges due to various factors, including language access. This study utilized data from 810 students enrolled in s...Identifying specific learning disabilities in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students presents unique challenges due to various factors, including language access. This study utilized data from 810 students enrolled in schools for the deaf to examine the influence of gender, educational level, signing status, and vocabulary knowledge on specific learning disability identification or suspicion. The analysis revealed that male students, those in middle school, and nonnative signers are more likely to be suspected of or identified with specific learning disabilities. These findings emphasize the need for thorough, culturally sensitive evaluations and the difficulties in differentiating between the effects of language deprivation and actual learning disabilities in DHH individuals.
J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ
· 2025 Jun · PMID 40315379
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The language practices and experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized users of signed languages have been largely ignored or marginalized within signed language linguistics. We bring a critical disability racioli...The language practices and experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized users of signed languages have been largely ignored or marginalized within signed language linguistics. We bring a critical disability raciolinguistic perspective to crip linguistics to interrogate the White colonial logics, including essentialized competence, boundedness, and homogeneity, that underlie the foundation of signed language linguistics. We then consider some assumptions which would need to be rejected and embraced to work toward a crip linguistic theory. We conclude that a critical disability raciolinguistic-compatible coalitional linguistic theory that enacts a crip ethos toward language is one that we can and must try to manifest.
J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ
· 2025 Jun · PMID 40315378
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Jon Henner and Octavian Robinson's (Henner, J., & Robinson, O. (2023). Unsettling languages, unruly Bodyminds: A Crip linguistics manifesto. Journal of Critical Study of Communication and Disability, 1, 7-37. https://doi...Jon Henner and Octavian Robinson's (Henner, J., & Robinson, O. (2023). Unsettling languages, unruly Bodyminds: A Crip linguistics manifesto. Journal of Critical Study of Communication and Disability, 1, 7-37. https://doi.org/10.48516/jcscd_2023vol1iss1.4) theoretical framework, Crip Linguistics, has deeply influenced and informed my ethnographic research examining the experiences of adult deaf immigrants in the northeast United States. Through approximately 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork involving participant observation in the Deaf Services department of a nonprofit organization and in-depth, semistructured interviews with deaf immigrants, this research began as an investigation of how the intersection of deafness and immigration produces linguistic vulnerabilities. Crip Linguistics has been crucial to my analysis and understanding of deaf immigrant language practices, not as linguistically impoverished as perceived by many, but as varied, flexible, and collaborative. I argue that deaf immigrants' ability to navigate a multitude of languages and language modalities as they move through their daily lives demonstrates an immense degree of linguistic proficiency that is often overlooked, and their engagement in practices of "linguistic care work" challenges an ableist and exclusionary U.S. immigration regime.