American Sign Language

Lifeprint.com defines American Sign Language (ASL) as "a visually perceived language based on a naturally evolved system of articulated hand gestures and their placement relative to the body, along with non-manual markers such as facial expressions, head movements, shoulder raises, mouth morphemes, and movements of the body." ASL is a language with its own unique rules of grammar and syntax. In Texas, it is the third most studied language, behind Spanish and French.

Featuring insights and commentary from professionals, "Through Your Child's Eyes" is a captivating video that showcases real families using sign language to communicate with their children. Click the button below to watch.

Resources on ASL Development

1. The Clerc Center offers the K-12 ASL Content Standards to guide classroom instruction on ASL Development for Deaf students.

2. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) offers information on American Sign Language (ASL) that includes comparison with spoken language and research briefs.

3. The American Society for Deaf Children offers an ASL Resources page with a summary of ASL's impact on language development and articles on ASL.

4. Hands & Voices provides an explanation of what American Sign Language (ASL) is, considerations of using ASL, and additional resources.

ASL and English Bilingualism

Both ASL and English are equally important languages in the deaf education classrooms. This approach is called the ASL - English Bilingual education.

Students learn the grammar, syntax, vocabulary and other linguistic features of each language. ASL is the primary language on which English is built upon.

ASL is the language used for communication but for instruction, strategies are used to support language development in both ASL and English. Strategies for supporting spoken language development in the ASL - English bilingual classroom is available.

Resources on ASL-English Bilingualism

1. Deaflinx.com presents the goal, benefits, and resources for the Bilingual-Bicultural Educational Approach.

2. Visual Language & Visual Learning (VL2) created a Research Brief on the topic of ASL/English Bilingual Education.

3. National American Sign Language and English Bilingual Consortium for Early Childhood Education - an organization focusing on the development, management, and coordination of ASL/English bilingual early childhood programs