9. Ability Flashcards
(25 cards)
definition of deaf
- hearing impaired, hard of hearing, hearing loss
Sociocultural Model
disability due to environmental factors & nothing to do with physical
limitations
-Learning how to navigate in a world not designed for deaf people
-Being deaf is positive & even celebrated -Importance of sign language
-Rarely needs to seek treatment as a result of being deaf
Cultural aspects of deafness
Within deaf communities, deafness is positive:
-Deaf babies are welcomed into the world
-Deaf marriages/partnerships often endogamous
-Value placed on Deaf gatherings
-Deaf schools considered repository of history/cultural transmission
-Being Deaf usually not seen as negative
-Deaf communities around the world
Sign languages
Natural languages of deaf communities, e.g. BSL, LSF, ASL
-Acknowledged as ‘true’ languages in 1970s, can be used to express complex ideas, humour, poetry, etc
-BSL officially recognised in the UK in 2003
-Legally recognised by the UK Govt in 2022
-Acquired naturally by children from deaf signing families & later by deaf children from hearing families through contact with deaf peers
cultural transmission
Deaf culture transmitted through shared experience (Padden & Humphries 1988)
:-Deaf families
-Schools e.g. Quinn (2010) on schoolisation
-Other contacts with the Deaf community, e.g. Deaf clubs, national & international conferences, et
Minority culture
Deaf people:- a minority, a cultural & linguistic minority-Ladd (2007): minority cultures are: - almost all oppressed cultures- often ‘colonised’ cultures-Colonisation:- ‘control by one power over a dependent area or people’- ‘it occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population & exploiting it, often while forcing its own language & cultural values upon its people
What are cochlear implants (CIs) and how effective are they in restoring hearing for deaf children?
CIs: Electronic devices that directly stimulate the auditory nerve to provide access to sound
Success: Extensive improvement in environmental sound awareness and speech perception (Archbold & Mayer, 2012)
How do cochlear‐implanted children perform academically compared to their hearing peers?
Written expression: Only 38% of CI users score within one standard deviation of hearing classmates (Geers et al., 2011)
Spoken language: Variable outcomes; many remain below hearing‐peer means despite gains in auditory access
Why is age at implantation critical for language development in CI users?
Early implantation: Aligns with sensitive periods for auditory and language acquisition
Later implants: Often yield slower progression and lower ultimate proficiency in spoken language (Niparko et al., 2010)
What factors beyond the device itself influence language outcomes in cochlear‐implanted children?
Preferred modality instruction: Teaching language in the child’s strongest modality (signed or spoken) boosts development
Early auditory exposure + language experience: Interaction between neural readiness and rich language input shapes linguistic abilities
Neural substrate: Early sensory access supports the brain’s language‐processing networks
What is the general concept of critical periods in language learning?
Critical periods: Developmental windows of heightened neural plasticity when learning certain skills is easier
Language implication: Younger brains acquire language more readily; plasticity declines with age
When does the critical period for phonetic learning occur?
Timeline: Before 12 months of age
Characteristic: Infants lose sensitivity to non-native phonemes after this window
During what ages is syntactic learning most sensitive?
Timeline: Approximately 18–36 months
Characteristic: Rapid mastery of sentence structure and grammar rules
How does vocabulary acquisition differ in its critical period?
Explosive growth: Begins around 18 months
Flexibility: Vocabulary can be learned effectively across the lifespan, showing less age restriction than phonetics or syntax
What future research direction is suggested for understanding language critical periods?
Investigate the opening and closing of critical windows for phonetic, lexical, and syntactic learning
Determine how these periods overlap and differ across language domains
How can deaf children achieve full language development, and why is early access crucial?
Early visual language exposure (e.g., sign language) provides the necessary linguistic input during sensitive periods.
Access timing—not modality—determines language outcomes: early acquisition in any channel (signed or spoken) supports full linguistic competence.
What did Mayberry et al. (2002) reveal about the effect of early language exposure on later language learning?
Study design: Compared deaf individuals with and without early language access on ASL tasks and subsequent spoken/sign learning.
Key finding: Deaf adults who lacked early language input showed profound delays in both sign and spoken‐language acquisition later in life.
Conclusion: The timing of first language acquisition is critical, independent of whether that language is visual or auditory.
What is the critical period for cochlear implantation (CI), and why might it reflect both auditory and language sensitive windows?
CI critical period: Implantation before ~3.5 years yields markedly better spoken‐language outcomes.
Underlying factors:
Auditory critical period for neural plasticity in auditory cortex
Language critical period for first‐language acquisition
Implication: Optimal CI timing likely hinges on both sensory and language windows
Why must researchers dissociate auditory versus language experiences when evaluating CI success?
Misguided recommendations: Some programs discourage pre‐implant sign‐language exposure, fearing it “uses up” auditory cortex and hinders speech learning.
Reality: Early visual language does not interfere with later spoken‐language acquisition; rather, it supports critical-period language development.
Goal: Tease apart sensory (hearing) and linguistic (modality‐independent) contributions to outcomes
What are the most common confounds in studies linking neural plasticity and CI outcomes?
Duration of deafness vs. sign‐language experience: Highly correlated, muddying which drives outcomes
Unmeasured sign‐language proficiency: Assumes preferred modality equals fluency
Unmeasured caregiver language skills: Home language support varies widely
Audiovisual speech skills ignored: Lipreading and multisensory integration matter
Onset and modality preference: Late‐onset deafness skews toward spoken‐language users
Animal models: Cannot capture human language experience
What research practices improve the rigor of CI and neural‐plasticity studies?
Measure sign‐language skills in both child and caregivers
Control for duration of deafness and age at CI
Assess audiovisual speech abilities (e.g., lipreading)
Include diverse research teams, especially deaf researchers, to ensure relevant variables and interpretations
Design longitudinal studies that track sensory and language development separately
What is the Auditory Scaffolding Hypothesis (Conway et al., 2011)?
Core claim: Early auditory perception depends on processing serial order—tracking sequences of sounds builds general temporal-sequencing skills
Mechanism: Auditory cortex serves as a “central unit” for encoding sequential patterns in the environment
According to the scaffolding hypothesis, what cognitive deficits might result from early auditory deprivation?
Deaf children may develop a domain-general temporal-sequencing deficit
Predicted delays in abilities that rely on representing temporal or sequential patterns (e.g., planning, motor sequencing)
What important critiques and considerations apply to studies of auditory scaffolding?
Research focuses almost exclusively on deficits, overlooking potential strengths or alternative developmental pathways
Early lack of sound does not inherently produce a “bad experience”—deaf children often develop robust skills in visual and spatial sequencing
Future work should examine the diversity of outcomes, not just delays or impairments
