Linguistic & Cultural Interactions Among Deaf/Hearing Family Members: Implications for Family Partnerships in Early Education

Blackburn, 1999

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe how a deaf child and his hearing family members make sense of each other's deaf and hearing worldviews, and how those perspectives guide their actions. Data were collected and analyzed while recognizing that a problem exists in this setting that typifies the home and family experiences of 90% of deaf children. In this scenario, the deaf child does not have auditory access to the (spoken) language that is predominantly used in the home. The deaf child's access to family communication often produces a deleterious effect on later educational experiences and academic potential.