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Why Early Language Access Matters More Than Hearing (Part 3): Taking Action and Overcoming Challenges

In Part 1, we talked about what language deprivation is and how it affects the brain. In Part 2, we talked about who it affects most and what parents need to know. Now, let's answer common questions and share helpful resources.


The Greatest Irony Nobody Talks About


Image: Cartoon by Maureen Klusza — widely shared in the Deaf community. Used here for educational purposes. All credit to the original artist.
Image: Cartoon by Maureen Klusza — widely shared in the Deaf community. Used here for educational purposes. All credit to the original artist.

Look at that cartoon for a moment. On the left, a deaf baby is being pushed toward speech. On the right, a hearing baby is happily learning sign language. The arrows are pointing in completely opposite directions from what would make natural sense — and that's exactly the point.


This isn't just funny. It's a little heartbreaking when you think about what it means.


What's wrong with this picture?


Hearing families across the country are signing up for baby sign language classes because research shows it reduces frustration, builds early communication, and actually speeds up spoken language development — not slows it down.[1] Pediatricians recommend it. Parenting books celebrate it. It's become completely mainstream.


And yet, at the same time, many of those same doctors and speech therapists are telling parents of deaf babies to avoid sign language — the one thing that gives a deaf child full, natural access to language from day one.


Let that sink in. Hearing babies are being given sign language as a bonus. Deaf babies are being denied it as a precaution.


The fear driving that advice — that sign language will interfere with a deaf child learning to speak — has been studied repeatedly. The research does not support it. In fact, studies show that deaf children who learn sign language first and then receive a cochlear implant actually do better with spoken language than those who had sign language withheld, because they already have a strong language foundation their brain can build on.[2]


Meanwhile, hearing babies who learn sign language don't stop talking. They talk more, earlier, and with less frustration.[1]


The brain doesn't see sign language and spoken language as competitors. It sees them both as language — and it thrives on both.


So why is the system set up backwards?


Part of it is old thinking that hasn't caught up with the research. Part of it is a medical model that treats deafness as a problem to fix rather than a difference to support. And part of it is that nobody told parents there was another way.


That's why we're telling you now. You don't have to choose between your child learning to sign and your child learning to speak. Many deaf and hard-of-hearing children do both. What you do have to choose is whether your child gets full access to language — any language — starting today.


For Those Who Say "But I Want My Child to Be Part of the Hearing World"


I understand. Most hearing parents want their child to talk easily with family, to feel like they belong, and to have the same opportunities as hearing people. These feelings come from love.


left: sign for more; right: sign for drink
left: sign for more; right: sign for drink

But here's the important part: not giving a child language doesn't make them "more hearing." It leaves them alone—cut off from both hearing people and deaf people.


A child who has full access to language, learns well, can read and write, and knows how to think clearly? That child can succeed in any setting. They can learn other languages. They can use technology. They can choose their own path in life.


A child who didn't get enough language early on may have trouble communicating in any language. They may struggle to learn. They may face mental health problems. They may have trouble reading. This limits their choices—not because they're deaf, but because they didn't get language when they needed it.


Real belonging comes from having the language skills and thinking tools to connect with the world. And children build these tools in their first five years of life, through language they can fully understand.[3]


The Bottom Line


Your deaf or hard-of-hearing child's brain needs language to grow properly. Not sound. Language.


It doesn't matter if that language comes through their eyes (sign language) or through their ears (spoken language). What matters is that your child can fully understand it, that it's rich in meaning, and that they consistently get it.


Sign language gives your child full access from the first day. It works no matter how much hearing loss they have. It lets language skills develop on time. It protects children from missing out on language. And research shows it doesn't get in the way of learning to speak later—it actually helps.[2]


You need to act now. Not after you "try" hearing aids. Not after you "see if" the implant works. Not "if" speech therapy doesn't work out. Now.


Every week and every month without full access to language is time your child's brain needed to grow. The best time for learning doesn't wait.


Language deprivation doesn't have to happen. You can prevent it by giving your child full access to language from the very start.


Challenges You May Face (And How to Overcome Them)


Here are the problems hearing parents often face when learning ASL:


Hard to find or afford help: Research shows that limited time and financial resources are among the most common barriers hearing parents face when trying to learn ASL.[4] What you can do: Use free websites like MyDeafChild.org, ask your early intervention program to teach you ASL, and try learning on your own with online tools.


Some programs don't teach ASL: Some parents say professionals told them not to use ASL, or there's no ASL help where they live. What you can do: Ask for ASL services for your child, look for online help if you can't find local help, and reach out to groups like NAD and ASDC.


Learning any new language is hard: ASL takes time and practice, just like any language. What you can do: Don't be too hard on yourself, learn in different ways (classes, practice with deaf people, online videos), start with the everyday signs you'll use most, and know that using some signs is much better than using no signs.


Busy parents don't have much free time: It's really hard to juggle your job, other kids, doctor visits, therapy, and learning a new language. What you can do: Use signs during your normal day instead of setting aside separate study time, get your whole family to learn together, and use short online lessons that fit your schedule.


Resources and Further Reading


Organizations


Learning ASL



Research and Position Statements



Here's a troubling fact: up to 70% of deaf children don't get enough language early in life.[5] But this doesn't have to happen. When parents get good information, start early, and use sign language, every deaf child can learn language at the right time and do well in life. The real question is: will your child get a language they can fully understand, and will they get it early enough?


Please share this with other families. Talk to your child's doctors. Ask for advice based on research. Together, we can stop this from happening to more children.


If this series helped you, please share it with other parents, doctors, and teachers who work with young children. Every child should have full access to language from their very first day.


Footnotes


[1]: Goodwyn, S. W., Acredolo, L. P., & Brown, C. A. (2000). "Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development." Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 81–103. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1006653828895 — A longitudinal study of 103 infants found that those taught to use symbolic gestures before they could speak had larger vocabularies, used longer sentences, and showed no delay in spoken language development. IQ follow-up at age 8 showed signing children scored an average of 12 points higher. ⤴️⤴️


[2]: Caselli, N., Pyers, J., & Lieberman, A. M. (2021). "Deaf Children of Hearing Parents Have Age-Level Vocabulary Growth When Exposed to American Sign Language by 6 Months of Age." The Journal of Pediatrics, 232, 229–236. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8085057/ — Also supported by Hall, W. C., et al. (2017). Maternal and Child Health Journal, 21(5), 961–965. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5392137/ ⤴️⤴️


[3]: Hall, M. L., Hall, W. C., & Caselli, N. K. (2019). "Deaf children need language, not (just) speech." First Language, 39(4), 367–395. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0142723719834102 ⤴️


[4]: Lieberman, A., Mitchiner, J., & Pontecorvo, E. (2024). "Hearing parents learning American Sign Language with their deaf children: a mixed-methods survey." The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12723584/ ⤴️


[5]: National Association of the Deaf. (2023). "Implications of Language Deprivation for Young Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing Children." https://www.nad.org/implications-of-language-deprivation-for-young-deaf-deafblind-deafdisabled-and-hard-of-hearing-children/ ⤴️

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