How important is it for parents to be fluent in ASL?

At the Deaf Center, we are committed to exploring how early language exposure impacts deaf children's development. A recent study titled "Parent American Sign Language skills correlate with child—but not toddler—ASL vocabulary size", by authors Lauren Berger, Jennie Pyers, Amy Lieberman, and Naomi Caselli, examines a critical question: How do the ASL skills of parents influence the vocabulary growth of their deaf children?

Key Findings

The study, which included 44 deaf children aged 8 to 60 months, explored how parent proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) relates to their child’s language development. The findings were surprising: while many assume that parents must be highly fluent to support their child’s language growth, this research showed that parents’ ASL skills do not significantly affect vocabulary size during toddlerhood. However, as children grow older, the connection between parent ASL skills and their child’s vocabulary becomes stronger.

Early Toddler Years:

In the early years (infants and toddlers), the amount of exposure to ASL—regardless of how fluent the parent is—seems to be more important than the parent's skill level. Parents who are still learning ASL can effectively support their child’s vocabulary growth as long as they are actively signing and providing consistent language exposure.

Childhood: 

As children reach later childhood, parents’ ASL fluency becomes increasingly important. Children of parents with more advanced ASL skills tend to have larger vocabularies. This highlights the importance of ongoing ASL learning for parents as their children grow.

What Does This Mean for Families?

This research underscores a key message: parents do not need to be “native” signers to successfully support their child's ASL development. Even parents who are new to ASL can help their child build a strong language foundation, especially if they start early and remain consistent. However, as their children grow older, parents should continue improving their own ASL skills to keep pace with their child’s language needs.

Implications for Deaf Education

The study provides essential insights for educators and healthcare professionals working with deaf children and their families. It challenges the misconception that only native or fluent signers can provide effective language input. Instead, it shows that parents’ commitment to learning and using ASL is what truly supports a child's language growth, particularly during the early years.

Moving Forward

This study highlights the need for continued support for families learning ASL, as well as accessible resources to help parents improve their skills over time. It also strengthens the argument for providing early ASL exposure to all deaf children, regardless of their parents' initial proficiency level.

At the Deaf Center, we continue to explore how early language experiences shape the lives of deaf children, and this research is a key part of that mission. By focusing on the role of families and parents in language development, we aim to provide practical insights that can empower deaf children and their families to thrive.

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