Early language exposure aids deaf
Similar to children learning a foreign language, deaf children benefit from early exposure to sign and spoken language, the study suggests. Image: ktaylorg/iStockphoto Most agree that the earlier you expose a child to a language, the easier it is for that child to pick it up. The same rules apply for deaf children.According to a new study, early exposure to sign language in addition to spoken language for all deaf children is the best way to maximise linguistic and cognitive skills to overcome any delays or difficulties due to deafness.La Trobe University’s Dr Adam Schembri—Director of the National Institute for Deaf Studies and Sign Language—and colleagues examined the effects of age of acquisition in deaf adults who use British Sign Language (BSL).‘This study is focused specifically on deaf adults and reports significant accuracy differences for those who acquire sign language as a delayed first language between 2 to 8 years of age,...