First Name:
Allyson
Last Name:
Pollock
Major Department:
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Thesis Director:
Jennifer Dalton
Date of Thesis:
May 2014
This undergraduate thesis explores the impact of sign language on expressive and receptive language skills in deaf children. The research presented primarily focuses on American Sign Language (ASL) and English language development. However, studies based in the Netherlands were reviewed to demonstrate how Sign Language of the Netherlands (SLN) impacts receptive and expressive Dutch language skills. Overall implications from these reviewed studies indicate that sign language enhances receptive and expressive language skills for deaf children. Also included are reflections of observations of speech therapy sessions at the North Carolina School for the Deaf, located in Morganton, North Carolina. These observations provided an applied learning experience that connected qualitatively to the reviewed research. Finally a prospective research study proposal is proposed, which is intended to be pursued for a master's thesis. The research study proposal utilizes methods derived from the research studies that were reviewed, with the exception that this study calls for younger participants than the previous studies. By assessing younger children, it may be possible to identify specific language skills that should be targeted in therapy. Once these specific language skills are identified, a language therapy intervention may be implemented into future research studies.