The Plight of Language Deprivation in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children Born to Hearing Parents

A Call to Action

Bibliographic Data

ID8249648
AuthorsCharleen K Sculley (Tulane University, corresponding author), Isabel Teller-Davis (Tulane University), Liza Barros-Lane (0000-0001-6421-0208, University of Houston - Downtown)
Year2026
Publication date2026-03-24
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Human Rights and Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2365-1792 • E-ISSN: 2365-1792
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s41134-026-00441-y
OpenAlexW7140222938
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children who experience language deprivation face heightened risk for long-term cognitive, social, and emotional harm. These outcomes are not due to parental unpreparedness but arise from entrenched social biases and professional practices that that frame deafness itself as a problem to be corrected rather than prioritizing early access to a fully accessible natural language. A natural signed language, American Sign Language (ASL), a visual language with its own grammar and syntax, provides full linguistic access for DHH children and supports healthy development across domains. This paper calls on deaf-aware social workers to challenge outdated models, advocate alongside families, and collaborate with medical professionals and policymakers to ensure culturally appropriate, rights-based interventions. Centering full language access from infancy is essential to preventing language deprivation and safeguarding the developmental, relational, and human rights of DHH children

Action (physics · American Sign Language · Call to action · Face (sociological concept · Grammar · Natural (archaeology · Safeguarding · Sign language · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Language Development and Disorders

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