Signs of Communication, LLC

07/10/2023

Sometimes accessibility takes more effort, it’s true. But the payoff is absolutely worth it. Going to be going back through all of my posts to fix where I could have been more accessible. It might take a while, but… I’d want someone to do it for me.

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"The argument for accessibility that doesn't get made nearly often enough is how extraordinarily better it makes some people's lives. 
How many opportunities do we have to dramatically improve people's lives just by doing our job a little better?" 
- Steve Krug

06/30/2023

yes, even if they don’t have a job. or they never have a job.
yes, even if they don’t speak. or sign. or communicate.
yes, even if they never live independently.
yes, even if they’re aggressive or “difficult”.
yes, even if…. anything else you can think up.

the world is better for having had disabled people in it. period.

05/31/2023

Kids with cochlear implants or hearing aids are 100% part of the Deaf community. It’s so frustrating when they’re demonized for liking their devices or benefiting. That’s not the problem. The problem is the lies families are sold. The problem is when they have nothing else.

05/23/2023

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US RAISE $620 FOR !

Not too late to watch the recording on Understanding & Addressing Language Deprivation in Deaf Children!!

05/09/2023

Join us for a 2-hour workshop by BCBA Zaineb Abdulla on Understanding & Addressing Language Deprivation in Deaf Children. This webinar will be recorded and available after the live event. You will receive 2 general BACB CEUs after you watch, complete a short quiz on the content and complete our feedback form.

DATE: May 19, 2023
TIME: 6-8PM Eastern

A brain that is deprived of language is a brain that cannot fully develop. Language deprivation is a leading cause of executive dysfunction and learning delays amongst Deaf children. In this workshop, we will be exploring the topic of language deprivation and learning how to address the issue by implementing behavior analytic tools to foster long-term language growth.

This presentation will be accessible in American Sign Language (ASL) and English.
Profits from this webinar will be donated to Deaf Planet Soul.

Profits from this webinar will be donated to Deaf Planet Soul - you may choose how much you would like to donate. The suggested donation is $20 (or $10/CEU).

05/09/2023

Language deprivation is one of the greatest developmental threats to Deaf and hard of hearing children today. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder with sociocultural origins… what that means is that although it occurs at a young age and permanently changes your brain… it’s entirely preventable when we provide ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE. And to be 100% clear, I mean using American Sign Language (or whatever sign language is in your country).

Chronic lack of accessible language in early years leads to Language Deprivation Syndrome, in which a person displays language dysfluency, deficits in knowledge, and disruptions in their thinking, mood, and behavior. All behavior is communication, and how else will deaf kids communicate if they have not been exposed to language?**

From a behavior analytic perspective - thousands of language learning trials occur every day with a young child. In a deaf child without accessible language… this is simply missed. Each day that they do not have accessible language, their peers have thousands more opportunities than they do to babble, to have their attempts reinforced, to pair words and meanings and objects and everything around them.

So what do we do about this?

On May 19, we’ll be having a webinar on Understanding & Addressing Language Deprivation in Deaf Children - profits will be donated to
Link in bio or comment saying you want the link!

Come learn strategies and ways to use behavior analysis to combat language deprivation and foster long-term language growth!

05/07/2023

I’ve been a bit quiet on here… because a little over a week ago, I moved to Florida! I can’t believe this is where I live now. 🤟🏻🌴☀️

04/05/2023

Borrowing from for this week’s … but only because it’s so good! This is an OPEN-ACCESS article published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR). It’s so wild to me that we’re in 2023 and this is still a concern for people…. but here’s the evidence that sign language does NOT harm spoken language acquisition. In fact, if there is any relationship… it seems that sign language exposure would actually SUPPORT spoken language acquisition!

LINK TO READ: https://t.co/0tkQKqb6CK

                                  

04/05/2023

Join our one-hour webinar on April 19th, 2023 from 11AM to 12PM EST: "Welcome to the Deaf Community: Ethics for Behavior Analysts & Related Service Professionals."

FREE to attend live or purchase the webinar for a CEU & access to the recording! This informative webinar will help you understand and appreciate the history, values, and culture of the Deaf Community.

It is designed for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCABAs) and other related service professionals who work with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is also open to professionals who do not currently work with this population, but may do so in the future.

Attend LIVE for free on April 19th, 2023 from 11AM to 12PM EST!

03/23/2023

Officially an Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider from the BACB! That means we can start offering events and other information for CEU credit! Keep an eye out for new things coming your way… 😉🤓

02/18/2023

02/07/2023