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233 Bilingual/Bicultural Education for Deaf Students As previously noted, very little is known about how Deaf children acquire fluency in ASL. The same may be said about the acquisition of English, whether in spoken, written, or signed forms. All of this background should be made clear to parents. A major concern expressed by parents is the fear that children who use some form of sign will not develop adequate speech and literacy skills in the home languages. Reviews of research (Goppold 1988; Moores 1996) suggest that the use of signs can facilitate literacy and has no effect, either positive or negative , on vocal skills. Family Systems Much previous writing has referred to “the Deaf child in a hearing family.” On reflection, obviously, such terminology not only is incorrect but also makes invidious assumptions about the worth of the Deaf child. Any family with both Deaf and hearing members is not a “hearing” family. The Deaf child is a fullfledged family member, and any depiction of the family should not exclude him or her. When parents decide they want a bilingual/bicultural environment for their child, they should be assured that they are not choosing one language or one culture over another. As the name implies, they want a child who is bilingual in English (or some other spoken language) and ASL (or some other signed language). One does not preclude the other. By the same token, the family —and, later, the child—does not have to choose one culture over another. Rather, preparing a Deaf child for participation in the Deaf community opens up exciting new possibilities and experiences. The Deaf community enjoys an endless variety of Deaf organizations at local, regional, national, and global levels . The choices include such general categories as religion, racial-ethnic identification , and sports as well as more specialized groups such as Deaf entrepreneurs and Deaf rock climbers. Again, we must emphasize that eitheror dichotomies are unnecessary. The International World Games for the Deaf are one exciting option. At the same time, Deaf athletes have participated and have won medals in Olympic swimming, running, and wrestling events. In 1995, we celebrated a Miss Deaf America (Jennifer Yost) and a Deaf Miss America (Heather Whitestone). Whether it be gymnastics, dressage, karate, flower arranging, or a Dead Poets Society, options are available. The child can be truly bicultural. Programs serving families with Deaf children should have a significant representation of Deaf professionals. If they do not, questions should be asked concerning the exclusion of individuals with unique skills. Deaf professionals provide guidance in several additional areas together with their obvious role in fostering the acquisition of signing skills. Effective interaction with the child is the most obvious role, of course. Deaf professionals can provide invaluable information on how to attract and maintain visual contact, how to use eye contact, and how to visually monitor the environment. One extremely important role is demonstrating to parents how to read with very young Deaf children, an area 234 Including Special Populations often overlooked by hearing parents who can be unaware that developing preliteracy skills in Deaf children is critical to their language and academic development . Deaf professionals can also introduce hearing parents to Deaf parents with similar backgrounds and interests to help smooth the hearing parents’ introduction to and participation in the Deaf community, a unique community with a special language and a rich tradition that will, in all probability, include their child as a member. One very productive support system for families can be developed during a learning vacation, such as those sponsored by the Gallaudet Family Learning Vacation Program. We recommend a total immersion version of an annual family vacation or retreat of up to two weeks in which families with Deaf children can interact with each other, Deaf adults, and Deaf and hearing professionals to exchange information, insights, and perspectives. A major component of the retreat should be dedicated to developing effective sign communication skills and integrating them into everyday family life. Educational Considerations Educational programs must be “Deaf friendly.” The term may seem simple, but it covers some complex issues. We have already mentioned the need for Deaf teachers and other professionals to be present. In most residential schools and day schools, accommodations have already been made to meet the needs of children who are visual learners. These accommodations have not been made necessarily in those programs where Deaf children are in the minority, the situation for most Deaf children in North America today. Public...

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