Findings By Dr.

Laura-Ann Petitto

How Children Acquire

Language: A New Answer
www.VL2.gallaudet.edu

Scientific Director of the Brain and

Language Laboratory, BL2 supported
by Gallaudet University, the National
Science Foundation and the National
Institutes of Health.

Deaf Babies exposed to signed languages
from birth, acquire languages at an
identical developmental rate of time as
hearing children acquire spoken
languages.
Deaf children
acquiring signed
languages do so
without any
developmental
loss or delay to
timing, and
content
associated
with reaching
all linguistic
milestones
observed in
spoken languages.

Learning ASL

Interacting with Deaf people will provide

opportunities for language development
for the family and the child.
Playgroups with other families of
Deaf children are a great way to improve
signing skills.
Signs For Intelligence:
www.signsforintelligence.com
Everyday ASL: www.everydayasl.com
Signing Time: www.signingtime.com
Baby Signs: www.babysigns.com
Sign 2 Me: www.sign2me.com
ASL University: www.lifeprint.com
ASL Pro: www.aslpro.com
Babies and Sign Language:
www.babiesandsignlanguage.com
Dawn Sign Press:
www.dawnsignpress.com
Harris Communications:
www.harriscomm.com

JOIN ASDC TODAY

THE ASDC VISION:

All children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing shall
have the opportunity to thrive in every aspect of their lives
through the empowerment of their families.

American Society for Deaf Children

#2047 - 800 Florida Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695
Telephone: (800) 942-2732
Website: www.deafchildren.org
Email: asdc@deafchildren.org

American
Sign Language
Language
Acquisition
Developmental
Milestones

www.deafchildren.org

ASL Developmental
Milestones
Birth to Three
Language development is influenced greatly
by two important factors: accessible language
and parent-child interaction.
Deaf children are visually oriented.
According to the Laurent Clerc National Deaf
Education Center Sharing
Ideas www.gallaudet.
edu/clerc_center.html
series, a deaf child
in the U.S. who
acquires American
Sign Language
as his or her first
language and is
also able to acquire
spoken English
has lost nothing, as
compared with the child
who struggles to acquire spoken English
through an insufficient auditory mode with no
access to visual language. This child may be
at risk of achieving little competence in any
language, or only a surface comprehension
of spoken English.
Early exposure to a visual language
establishes a foundation for understanding
the world and a link to written and/or spoken
English. ASL provides for a full exchange of
complex and abstract information.

Receptive Langua
ge
Ages BirthOne

Understands single signs/words.

Recognizes facial expressions when
expression matches the sign.
Responds to simple commands.
Displays responsive behaviors
such as eye contact.
Gestures emotional or physical needs.
Uses repetition.

e
g
a
u
g
n
a
L
e
iv
s
s
e
Expr
Ages BirthOne

Babbling with gestures that have

no specific meaning.
Babbles in front of body.
First hand shapes 5 and S.
First signs/words are typically
nouns and approximations of the
formations of signs used by adults

Receptive Langua
ge
Ages OneTwo

Understands multi-word phrases.

Vocabulary expands between
5 and 250 words.
Recognizes frequently finger spelled words.
Understands basic meanings of
facial expressions.
Understands simple questions.
Understands names of objects.

age
Expressive Langu
Ages OneTwo

Babbling resembles ASL. Combines 2 signs.

Hand shape repertoire: A, B, C, O, I.
Signs NO or uses headshake to
express negativity.
Names objects without
need to point.
Attempts at finger
spelling.

Receptive
Language
Ages
TwoThree

Understands & carries out more

complex commands and requests.
Shows interest in how & why.
Attention span of 20 minutes.
Maintains eye contact before conversing.

Expressive Langu
age
Ages TwoThree

Uses directional verbsGive Me.

Expresses possessivesMy Shoe.
Uses action and object forms such as
Drink Water.
Uses pronouns Me, She/He, It.
Signs throughout day.
Signs to self.

Vanessa Bruno: Communicating With Your Child In Sign

www.slideshare.net