Exploring Language Exposure's Relationship to Neurobiological Linguistic Outcomes in d/Deaf Infants

The advantages of early exposure to languages that firmly establish a first language during early childhood have long been documented for deaf children, as this is critical in future language development and literacy skill.

This pilot study seeks to describe deaf children’s language experience and exposure to explore how these factors may contribute to successful language development.

The proposed study will recruit five deaf babies of both hearing and deaf parents, ages 6-36 months, to participate in a battery of language measures. Infant language exposure in American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English will be reported utilizing the Language Exposure Assessment Tool (LEAT). Parents will also complete the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) to report their language abilities.

Language measures will include:

• a language sample
• the Battelle Developmental Inventory-2nd Ed
• parent report of infant language ability using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory- ASL (ASL-CDI)
• a vowel contrast speech perception event-related potential (ERP) task

Due to the small sample size, all measures will be analyzed as components of a linguistic profile of each participant.