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How Emerging Findings in Neuroscience Apply to Early Intervention Practices: Addressing Brain Development and

Early Visual Language in Infants, Toddlers, and Young ChildrenDr. Melissa Herzig !

Education and ResearchTranslation Manager for VL2/Translation in Science of Learning Lab DirectorAssociate Director for PhD in Educational Neuroscience

Coalition of Global Hearing Health ConferenceOctober 2015

WELCOME

VL2 Research about Visual Language, Bilingualism, and Literacy Development

Visual Language and Visual Learning

Research to Practices

Translational Products & Resources

The Future

about the center !6 in USA

Visual Language and Visual Learning

Knowledge

Visual Language and Visual LearningCENTER PURPOSE

Visual  Language  

Visual-­‐Informed  Social  Experiences  

Visual-­‐Sensory  Processing  

Plasticity

Visual & Cognitive Systems

Functions

Learning

LanguageReadingLiteracy

Co-Principal Investigators

Dr. Laura-Ann PetittoCo-PI and Science Director

Dr. Thomas AllenCo-PI

The Gallaudet University-NSF Science of Learning Center, Visual Language and Visual Learning, VL2

VL2.gallaudet.edubl2.gallaudet.eduvl2@gallaudet.edu

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Sign?

Cochlear Implant?

Speech?

Hearing Aids?

WHICH? WHEN? MORE THAN ONE?!

So many choices….

Critical Early Advice!!

A deaf child’s cognitive, educational, social development will be negatively affected if they do not get early language exposure

ADDRESSING COMMON BELIEFSDeaf children have attention problems.

Speech & listening-spoken language is critical for language acquisition.

Early bilingual exposure causes language delay and confusion, especially in spoken language.

Early exposure to a signed language hurts the child’s chances of learning to read.

From this session, you will get answers to these questions:

How is visual attention affected by early sign language experience?

Does learning signed language affect the auditory cortex?

Does learning sign language affect speech or auditory skills?

Does bilingualism cause language confusion?

When is the best age for 2nd language introduction?

What goes on in young deaf children’s mind when they read?

What is the best approach for teaching a deaf child to read?

Early Visual Sensory Experiences

Critical Period Hypothesis

Visually-Based Sign Phonology

CENTER DISCOVERIES

“Oaks make lots and lots of roots. No matter what, they stand a chance of survival…

it is these upon which the oak’s life depends.” –Jean Pilska

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Early Visual Sensory Experiences

Critical Period Hypothesis

Visually-Based Sign Phonology

DISCOVERIES THAT CHANGE MINDS

Visual Systems Change Depending on Early Experience

Bilingual Deaf Children are Advantaged

Visual Sign Phonology & Revolutionary Implications

early sign language exposure !

Addresses these Beliefs: Deaf Children have attention problems & sign language causes language confusion

DISCOVERY 1Early Visual Sensory Experiences

Different early visual sensory experiences alter the human

brain and its functions

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Recent VL2 research shows….

Infants exposed to ASL are sensitive to visual phonology—

forward signs vs.

reversed signs vs.

gestures

Bosworth, Hwang, & Corina, 2013

Infant Eye-tracking Study!

Singleton, Brooks & Meltzoff (in progress)

Infants exposed to ASL: greater eye gaze control

Show complex eye gaze shifting

Gaze shift from caregiver to book more frequently

Lieberman, Hatrak, & Mayberry, 2014

Early Sign Exposure Changes Visual Processing

Deaf & Exposed to Sign Language:

More frequent shift in eye-gaze in object naming and later

booksharing. Stronger vocabularies, language,

reading, and literacy development18  

Deaf & Not Exposed to Sign Language: Slower rates of spontaneous looking,

language, reading, & literacy development

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What about Language Acquisition?

Children of Signing Parents!

Do they acquire language?!

At the same milestones? !

Does the brain favor speech or get confused?!

Speech Sign>

Common Beliefs about Biology & Sign Language

Issues Acceptance

linguistics

culture

biology

yes

yes

reject

Speech is Special— Biologically Superior

Speech & Sign Not Biologically Equivalent

Sign Exposure will Hurt Speech

Language Acquisition- Milestones

6 months!babbling !

12 months!first words!

18 months !two words!

on hands & mouth

and first signs

and two-sign phrases

Petitto, et al., 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009

Signing babies have the same milestones…!so do Bilingual babies. !

Petitto et al., 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009

Language Acquisition- Milestones

Deaf children- !babbling on the hands at 6 months!

Petitto & Marentette, 1991

Language Acquisition- Milestones

Petitto, et al. 1991

What are the human brains looking for?

Not speech— !

Rhythmic nucleus of language Phonetic-Syllabic Structure is SPECIAL !

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Timing & Access to Language- !An Neurobiological Emergency !

The baby’s brain needs to be stimulated “spoken” language and information during the first 6 months of life.

If babies don’t hear til they are one year of age, they need massive auditory input to make up for that auditory/information deficit.

But… sounds are not the only way for the brain to gain access to information

Revolution in Science Occuring Now!

Sign and Speech have equal Biological status.

Child Development & Biological Conclusions !

Language does not equal Speech

NEED: Critical Importance of Early Language Exposure

KEY: Include Visual Signed Language to Early Language Exposure

Before speech & language, comes !LISTENING!

Not True! Early exposure helps with eye-gaze and joint attention

Not True! Speech is not critical. Specific patterns are critical

Deaf children have attention problems.

Speech & listening-spoken language is critical for language acquisition.

Early bilingual exposure causes language delay and confusion, especially in spoken language.

Not True! Early language exposure is the key! Children hit the same milestones in language acquisition as

monolinguals and bilinguals

Addressing Common Beliefs and BIOLOGICAL CONCLUSIONS

CNN-Vital Signs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9VhDtjVRdA&feature=youtu.be

Neuroscientist’s quest to understand language!

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sign language & bilingualism !Early bilingualism strengthens

reading, language and cognition in all children

Discovery 2 Critical Period Hypothesis

Age of first bilingual language exposure (AoE) is a powerful predictor of bilingual language acquisition and reading success

The Bilingual Advantage !Discoveries Show Common Claims are Wrong

Sign Language exposure hurts Auditory Tissue !Belief: Visual processing of sign language usurp the

auditory processing capacity

Early bilingualism is harmful to brain development? !Belief: EARLY Bilingualism is taxing to the brain during

language development (Reduces strength in majority language)

Learn sign language after the child learns !to hear and to listen!

Belief: Sequential instruction is better than simultaneous instruction in dual language (“hold back” policy: first stabilize

in one language, then introduce the other)

Testing the Brain

Q: Sign Language exposure hurts Auditory Tissue !

What happens in the brain?

35  Petitto, et al., 2000

Beyond developmental processes, and

same mechanism- what happens in

the brain? !

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What we thought was an auditory tissue is not! !

deaf! hearing !Petitto, et al., 2000

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Visual Phonology & Sound Phonology- Identical Brain Tissue

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Brain’s Resilient Capacity to Retain Structure & Function in Auditory

Tissue

Petitto et al 2000; Kovelman, et al & Petitto, 2008; 2009

new fNIRS system

Adults with CI and exposure to sign Language

Adults with CI and exposure to sign Language

Adults with CI and exposure to sign Language

= Typical Brain & Auditory Tissue Processing for Language

Deaf Adults with Cochlear Implants and EARLY Exposure to Sign Language (and Spoken Language)

The Guessing Game

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Early bilingual exposure does not block the development of speech,

but late exposure may impair language and cognitive development

Davidson, Lillo-Martin, Chen-Pichler, 2013; Hassanzadeh, 2012; Tomasuolo, Fellini, Di Renzo, & Voltera 2010; Jemenez, Pino & Herruz, 2009; Uhlen, Bergman, Hagg, & Eriksson, 2005; Connor, Hieber, Arts, & Zwolan, 2000)

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Why Didn’t Getting !the Cochlear Implants Help?!

Requires extensive mapping and training constantly- access to facilities and professionals during the child’s critical

period of language learning.

Highly variable in benefits- 2 studies report- 10% do not need further accommodation30-40% still need accommodationFor the rest (47-50%) do not benefit from their CIs and stop wearing them

Humphries, et al., 2014 (What Medical Education can do to Ensure Robust Language Development in Deaf Children) in Medical Science Education

Belief: Bilingualism is harmful to brain development (more taxing)

Not True! Monolingualism showed more effortful frontal lobe activity

Petitto, 2009; Petitto, et al., 2012!Jasinska & Petitto, 2013, 2014;

Kovelman, et al., 2008b!

Bilinguals! Monolinguals!Bilingual Brains= Not on Diet

Bilingual Brains are Not Deviant When is the best age for 2nd language introduction?

Belief: Sequential instruction is better than Simultaneous Instruction in two languages..

Not True!

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Results: Simultaneous 50/50 is Better

Kovelman, et al., 2008a; Jasinska, & Petitto, 2013, 2014; !

Berens, et al., 2013

Early Predictor of Reading Success- Simultaneous Bilinguals perform better

than monolinguals, and better than sequential bilinguals

Age of First Bilingual Exposure (AoE) Benefits BOTH Languages & Predicts Reading Success

Learn 2nd language early= better outcomes

Kovelman, et al., 2008a & b; Kovelman, et al., 2015, 2014, 2013; Petitto, 2009, Petitto, et al., 2012; Jasinska & Petitto, 2013; 2014

Summary: The Bilingual Advantage

Bilingual exposure benefits monolinguals

Cognitive Benefits

Metalinguistic Awareness

Enhanced executive functions: problem solving, attention control, task switching, & more!

+

Kovelman, Baker & Petitto 2008b; Berens, Kovelman & Petitto, 2013

Deaf signers who acquired ASL early read complex English sentences more quickly and respond to

associated questions more accurately than those deaf who acquired ASL later in life

Traxler, Corina, Morford, Hafer & Hoversten, 2014

Benefits of Early Bilingualism and Reading

“Monolingualism is the illiteracy of the 21st century”!

Gregg Roberts, Utah State Office of Education!TIME magazine, July 29, 2013!

sign language & reading! (visual sign phonology)!

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DISCOVERY 3Visually-Based Sign Phonology

ASL Visual Phonology as a gateway to meaning in early

English reading

Powerful early intervention and educational implications

Addresses this Belief: Early exposure to a signed language hurts the child’s chances of learning to read.

Allen & Morere, 2013; Snowden, 2012; Kovelman, et al., 2008; Morford, et al., 2012; McQuarrie, & Abbott, 2013; Berens, Kovelman, & Petitto, 2013; Jasinska & Petitto, 2012; 2013

Sign Language & PhonologyEarly Exposure to Language

Visual Phonology

Sound Phonology

Decode Print

Reading Sign Connections

When fluent Deaf ASL/English bilinguals read, signing is ACTIVE in their brain just like other bilinguals

(Morford, Wilkinson, Vilwock, Pinar, & Kroll, 2011)

ASL

English

Signer: Dr. Suppala

Early language delays leads to…

residual deficits in reading in young school-age children- !

according to several studies of “late talkers” !

(Preston, et al, 2010) in Brains

Rescoria 2002, 2005, 2009; Scarborough & Dobrich, 1990

Parents were asked to complete questionnaire about when child began to speak 2-3 word sentence & parent rated

child as Early, On Time, or Late

Early ASL receptive proficiency leads to

Allen, 2015; Allen & Morere, 2013

Stronger letter recognition skills

Better ReadersThis applies to children whose parents (hearing or deaf) use sign language

Fingerspelling

Fingerspelling is a visual sign phonology

• Fingerspelling is a strong link between ASL and English print (Hile, 2009)

• FS Phonological awareness were found to be stronger predictor than fingerspelling ability for reading (Schick, ongoing)

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Fingerspelling DevelopmentHow does

visual sign phonology compare to

sound phonology??

sound!phonology!

TPWSGWTAUphones

phonemes

orthography

rhythmic& temporal

nucleus

syllable

structure

mouth

articulatory

gestures

pronunciationpatterns

etc.

visual!phonology!

TPWDPGWTUphones

phonemes

orthography

rhythmic& temporal

nucleus

syllable

structure

mouth

articulatory

gestures

pronunciationpatterns

etc.

sign

phonessign

phonemes

orthography

rhythmic& temporal

nucleus

syllable

structure

hand

articulatory

gestures

fingerspelling

etc.

phones

phonemes

orthography

rhythmic& temporal

nucleus

syllable

structure

mouth

articulatory

gestures

pronunciationpatterns

etc.

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visual!phonology!

sound!phonology!

visual!phonology!

sound!phonology!

Universal level of language organization

Same neural sites/systems

REVOLUTIONARY INSIGHTSScience of Learning

All ChildrenPhonological level of language

processing is universal(be it sound or sign)

Visual Learners

Optimal learning uses visual phonology, which facilitates acquisition of English reading

ASL/English

Bilinguals

Early ASL/English deaf bilinguals benefit from cognitive enhancements

like other bilinguals

All this: NOT TRUEDeaf children have attention problems?

Bilingualism causes delay and confusion?

Sign language delays spoken language development?

Early exposure to a signed language hurts the child’s chances of learning to read English

!Except this: Signing is a biological necessity !

!“More is More”!

Science Has Been Wrong Before

“Brains don’t discriminate. People do.” Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto, Neuroscientist Brain and Language Lab (BL2) at Visual Language and Visual Learning, Gallaudet University

http://oes.gallaudet.edu/bl2/

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Changing MindsChanging Practices

Let’s shift from viewing ASL as Defect Model to a Bilingual Model in Deaf Education

-Tom Humphries

(available online at http://escholarship.org/uc/ucbgse_bre)

Policy Implications

Bilingual Model

bridging science to education

Promote those among families!

Gestures

Fingerspelling

Signing

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VL2 Research Briefs- on Youtube

Fingerspelling!

Bringing the world !to the child!

When making connections between concepts and words…trace or point and mouth/speak, sign/fingerspell

More Resources for You to Use !with Children and Families !

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Education & Research Translation

Parent Package

Research Briefs

for Teachers

Sign Language

Assessments VL2 Storybook Apps for

Children

Research Briefs

VL2 Research Briefs- on Youtube

ASSESSMENTS

VCSL: 0-5 years old

ASL-RST: 3-13 years old

How can we use the science of learning to impact and change the

perceptions, beliefs, expectations, and choices

for deaf and hard of hearing children?

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VL2 Parent Information

Package (2013)

Led by Kristen Harmon, Ph.D.VL2 Manager of Center Impact on Education & Creation/Distribution

of Innovations

together laugh

together connect together dream

together love together learn

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together thrive growing together

it’s about families

www.vl2parentspackage.org

growing together laugh

dream

love

learn

thrive

connect

it’s about

play

imagine

read

chat

Two ways of sharing the science of

learning on ASL-English bilingualism

1) Package

mailer 2) Website

2013

listen

The Science of Visual Language and Visual Learning Parent Information Package

together

stories from other families

inspire

The Science of Visual Language and Visual Learning Parents Information Package

together

advice from successful deaf individuals

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learn

The Science of Visual Language and Visual Learning Parent Information Package

together

research briefs on language acquisition ASL milestones*

interviews with scientists research-based information

links to organizations

VL2 research

and more

sign

The Science of Visual Language and Visual Learning Parents Informational Package

together

American Sign Language FAQ Gallaudet University Press Parent-Centered

Products vl2parentspackage.org

ASL/English Bilingual

iPad Apps for children

VL2 Storybook Apps !

The Baobab

The Blue Lobster

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The Solar System

And, coming soon…!

The Little Airplane That Could!

vl2storybookapps.com !

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VL2 research foundations, design, !and reading principles!

“Watch” Mode

Full ASL story mode, shows full prosodic structureStrong Narrative and ASL Models

“Read” Mode

Sentential structure, bilingual in designcolorful & vivid illustrations

“Learn” Mode

vocabulary building, finger spelled wordsAudio voice-over

(1) Verheven, L., Leeuwe, JV, and Vermeer, A. (2011). Vocabulary growth and reading development across the elementary school years. Scientific Studies of Reading. 15(1), 8-25. (2) Ziegler, J.C. and Goswami, U. (2005). Reading acquisition, developmental dyslexia, and skilled reading across languages: A psycholinguistic grain size theory. Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 131, No. 1, 3-29. (3) Ehri, Linnea C. (2014). Orthographic Mapping in the acquisition of sight word reading, spelling memory, and vocabulary learning. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18:5-21.

Design Principles

Whole-To-Part and Part-To-Whole Design Great narratives for Motivation and Engagement in Reading; tool for parents and educators Fingerspelling for vocabulary words Promotes vocabulary learning and comprehension WITHIN context of whole story

Language acquisition and reading

Early reading vocabularies; provide rich content(Morford, Pinar, Andrews)

Early exposure to bilingual models (Hauser, Petitto)

Build reading skills through visual phonology in ASL (Schick, McQuarrie, Padden, Morford, Emmorey, Petitto)

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VL2 Storybook App !The Solar System !

Sharing Our Science

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www.VL2storybookapps.com !

www.VL2StorybookCreator.com !

www.MotionLightLab.com !

Email: VL2@gallaudet.edu!

www.VL2ParentsPackage.org !

VL2.gallaudet.edu!

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Thank you!

Questions?

Artwork from “A Boy Who Cried Wolf”,

a VL2 Storybook App