Using ASL at Home: Provider and parent experiences

Dr. Leah C. Geer
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at California State University, Sacramento

This talk shares the justification for and methods and results from two studies of the family-centered, routine-based curriculum called ASL at Home. Both studies used qualitative methodology; the first examined providers’ perceptions of and experiences with using the curriculum while the second focused on the experiences of families who used the curriculum on their own. Using interview data from four teachers of the deaf, one speech-language pathologist, and one early childhood special education administrator, the former found many positive experiences using the curriculum including having a structure to follow in one’s teaching, the availability of the curriculum in Spanish, and the inclusion of Deaf Community Cultural Wealth (DCCW). The inclusion of DCCW was especially important for hearing providers who reported the desire to provide authentic deaf input in their visits with families. The second study explored interview data from three parents of deaf children who independently used the family-centered curriculum. This study queried what factors families of young deaf children consider when selecting an ASL curriculum and (whether) to approach that curriculum on their own and how the ASL at Home curriculum supports families of young deaf children. ASL at Home supported these participants in their language-learning journey through 1) making the curriculum easily navigable between the book, the website housing video and other resources, and the workbook; 2) through providing functional language; 3) giving learners activities to apply what they’re learning; and 4) giving learners permission to make mistakes.