An Examination of American Pediatric Policy on Language for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

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2014
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en_US
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Abstract
When natural language input is not accessible to a child during the critical period for language acquisition, linguistic deprivation can occur. This can result in numerous negative effects on the child, including an inability to use any language at the level of a native speaker and subsequent social and emotional deficits and decreased abilities in other cognitive areas. Many children who are deaf or hard of hearing cannot adequately access spoken language for their cognitive needs to be met during the critical period. A sign language, however, can provide accessible natural language input and allow a deaf or hard of hearing child to avoid linguistic deprivation, and should therefore be considered medically necessary for members of this population. This thesis seeks to examine the treatment of language options for deaf and hard of hearing children in pediatric public policies set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). While the AAP does emphasize the importance of linguistic abilities for deaf and hard of hearing children, their policies do not adequately present the possible consequences of linguistic deprivation in a speech-only environment, implying that language options are purely a parental choice that will have no detrimental effects on the child's development.
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