Effects of American Sign Language on Communication for Students with Language Deficits
Abstract
Effects of American Sign Language on Communication for Students with Language Deficits was conducted in a K-2 self-contained class at a primary school. This research was conducted in order to study the benefits of the use of American Sign Language (ASL) for students in order to communicate in the classroom setting. Ensuring that students with a language deficit have a form of communication in the classroom is key to making sure that they are getting the most out of their educational experience. Researchers have demonstrated the benefits of sign language including effective communication, speech and emotional development, lowered frustration levels, reinforcement of educational concepts, and improved word recollection. Including ASL in early childhood education, may set students up for success early in their educational years to promote success as they progress through their education. The research being conducted is through the use of ABAB design with data collection, including a pre and posttest to determine the effectiveness of the use of ASL instruction. This research study was guided by the following research question: Effects of the use of ASL instruction to increase vocabulary usage to 10 vocabulary words by identifying the vocabulary word when shown the ASL sign following instruction with students in grades k-2 who have been identified with language deficits is the purpose of this study.