Using the Adapted Flemish Sign Language Visual Communication and Sign Language Checklist

Abstract

This study addresses the topic of visual communication and early sign language acquisition in deaf children with a Flemish Sign Language (Vlaamse Gebarentaal or VGT) input. Results are obtained through a checklist focusing on sign-exposed deaf children’s visual communication and early sign language acquisition: the adapted VGT Visual Communication and Sign Language checklist. The purpose is to obtain the first detailed picture of these children’s visual and early VGT acquisition and to determine the optimal support for the checklist’s ongoing standardization process. At the time of testing, all children were 24-months old and had been diagnosed with a severe or profound hearing loss before the age of 6 months. Half of the children were being raised in deaf families with native VGT exposure, while the other half were from hearing families with no prior VGT knowledge. All parents declared VGT accessibility to the child and that they used VGT in the home. Resulting from this study is the identification of five early visual communication items as being potentially good indicators of later (sign) language development. Further, concerns were put forward on the lack of ongoing visual, communication, and language support for deaf children and their parents in Flanders.

Big Things Often Have Small Beginnings: A Review on the Development, Use and Value of Small and Big Corpora for Flemish Sign Language Linguistic Research

“…The corpus has been analyzed by Loots (1999) ; Mouvet (2013) , Matthijs (2018) , and Wille (2018) for different research purposes and has given us a first and profound insight in the early interactions and language environment of deaf infants. Loots, for instance, concluded that parents who do not communicate visually and in a sequential manner with their deaf child stagnate in the transition from existential to symbolic intersubjectivity between the ages of 18 and 24 months ( Loots and Devisé, 2003a ; Loots et al, 2005a ).…”

“…In addition, Wille et al (2018) , who analyzed data collected by Mouvet and Matthijs, were the first to describe the VGT development of a deaf child growing up in a deaf signing family, with respect to dyadic face-to-face interactions. Along with a more extensive corpus analysis, using data from Loots (1999) , and Mouvet and Matthijs (2010–2013), this research provided the basis for the development of early interaction guidelines for professionals; including deaf children’s early visual milestones ( Wille et al, 2019 , 2020a , b ). The studies above, emphasize the benefits of a bimodal bilingual approach which can facilitate language development and may form a supportive basis for the children’s full language potential.…”

Fathers of Young Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children: A Systematic Review

“…In a study involving ten Belgian parent-child dyads, the extent to which deaf parents and hearing parents use visual communications strategies during interaction with their 2-year-old deaf children was examined ( Wille, Allen, Van Lierde, & Van Herreweghe, 2019 ). Deaf fathers used more implicit strategies, such as waiting for a child to look to them for communication, compared to deaf mothers.…”