Our Mission

We are providing families and individuals with alternative ideas to break down language communication barriers for all. Teaching infants to toddlers a manual method of communication, like ASL, is beneficial to their cognitive development. Per an article from a magazine, Gallaudet Today, “Brain scans show sign language is processed in the same brain tissue scientists had thought processed only speech. Sign phonology is processed in the identical tissue as sound phonology, showing that the tissue thought to be dedicated exclusively to sound is dedicated to finding the patterns in language. The rhythms and patterns that make up the phonological level of organization of all languages are the same in signed and spoken languages. Specific neural tissue and systems are dedicated to identifying this patterning, regardless of modality” (Congdon, 2016).

The ultimate goal is to raise awareness and provide benefits through research on early bilingualism and visual modalities, enhancing communication, supporting cognitive development, and offering alternative connection options for all children, while fostering inclusivity within the Deaf community. The end result would be to have new parents, expectant parents, and caretakers to make the conscious decision to teach their children ASL from birth or at a young age.

Please enjoy some holiday cheer with Shaylee!

Sheena McFeely. (2014, December 9). ASL Nook - How the Grinch Stole Christmas ASL Version. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuXGjNxO1Ws

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“Children exposed to sign language early gain visual attention and processing advantages. This produces stronger vocabulary, language competence and world knowledge, and literacy and reading skills. It also supports greater self-regulatory knowledge”

— Congdon, 2016

What Do We Offer?

Collections of Resources - A collection of resources from other Deaf organizations and institutions.
ASL Dictionaries - ASL Sign Dictionaries to learn ASL from native Deaf signers and qualified interpreters.
Deaf Media Resources - YouTube videos, websites from Deaf signers, CODA’s (Children of Deaf Adults).
Community Participation - Community resources about learning ASL/involving oneself in the community that pertain to specific situations.

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Sources

Alfonso, K. P., Bouldin, E., Govil, N., Patel, S. R., & Tey, C. S. (2021). Social Isolation and Loneliness in the Hearing-Impaired Pediatric Population: A Scoping Review. Laryngoscope, 131(8), 1869-1875. doi:10.1002/lary.29312.
Congdon, T. S. (2016). Revolutionizing the Science of Learning. (n.d.) Gallaudet Today. Vl2.Gallaudet.edu. https://vl2.gallaudet.edu/news/revolutionizing-the-science-of-learning
Mercure, E., Evans, S., Pirazzoli, L., Goldberg, L., Bowden-Howl, H., Coulson-Thaker, K., Beedie, I., Lloyd-Fox, S., Johnson, M. H., & MacSweeney, M. (2020). Language Experience Impacts Brain Activation for Spoken and Signed Language in Infancy: Insights From Unimodal and Bimodal Bilinguals. Neurobiology of Language, 1(1), 9–32. https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00001
Nicodemus, B., Formentelli, M., Cagle, K. M., & Pittman, J. (2021). Address practices of Deaf undergraduate students and faculty: A study of language, identity, and community. Journal of Pragmatics, 176, 110–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.01.024
Novack, M. A., Brentari, D., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Waxman, S. (2021). Sign language, like spoken language, promotes object categorization in young hearing infants. Cognition, 215, Article 104845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.10484
Novack, M. A., Chan, D., & Waxman, S. (2022). I See What You Are Saying: Hearing Infants’ Visual Attention and Social Engagement in Response to Spoken and Sign Language. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 896049. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.896049
Novogrodsky, R., & Meir, N. (2020). Age, frequency, and iconicity in early sign language acquisition: Evidence from the Israeli Sign Language MacArthur–Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory. Applied Psycholinguistics, 41(4), 817–845. doi:10.1017/S0142716420000247
Paul, P. V., & Yan, P. (2023). The Effects of American Sign Language on English Reading Proficiency. American Annals of the Deaf, 167(5), 745–760. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27232222
Prelock, P. A., McCauley, R. J., Charman, T., & Fuller, E. A. (2021). Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder : Evidence-Based Intervention Strategies for Communication & Social Interactions. (2nd ed.). Brookes Publishing.
Thompson, R. H., Cotnoir-Bichelman, N. M., McKerchar, P. M., Tate, T. L., & Dancho, K. A. (2007). Enhancing Early Communication through Infant Sign Training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2007.23-06