C.A.N. is celebrating day 15 of Deaf Awareness month with Language First!
Language First aims to educate and raise awareness about ASL/English bilingualism and the importance of a strong first language foundation for Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children.
Kimberly Sanzo is the founder of Language First. In her current work as a speech-language pathologist at the American School for the Deaf, she creates therapy activities in ASL that aim to reduce the effects of language deprivation. She is committed to educating parents and professionals on the neurological effects of a late or incomplete first language acquisition. Read her positionality statement here.
The Language First mission is to educate and raise awareness about ASL/English bilingualism and the importance of a strong first language foundation for Deaf and hard of hearing children. This is achieved through educating parents and professionals with current evidence-based information and practice. Language First offers continuing education events to attend, including in-person conferences and online webinars, as well as professional development and trainings. To learn more about a workshop or presentation for your staff, fill out this form. All parent resources are free, and parents can look up pro-ASL professionals in their state to contact for more information. Read Language First’s full mission statement here.
Check out the great resources for professionals and parents on the Language First website at https://language1st.org and on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/languagefirstlab
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