<< BACK TO AGENDA

ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Family Language Policy & Planning: How Does it Fit in Your Family?' Track: 7 - Family Perspectives and Support Keyword(s): families, bilingual, diversity, language acquisition, decision-making, Learning Objectives: Participants will learn about theories and existing research on family language policy and planning. Participants will actively participate in a discussion about the implications of family language planning on young deaf and hard of hearing children’s language outcomes. Participants will become familiarized with current resources, approaches and tools to support families for a successful family language policy and planning with their deaf/hoh children. Abstract: The purpose of this presentation is to introduce 1) concepts of family language policy to examine families’ language practices, language beliefs and attitudes, and language management with their young children and 2) to understand its implications on children's language outcomes. Families with young deaf and hard of hearing children often experience challenges in their decision-making process for their child especially on deciding what communication approach is appropriate for their child (Young, 2010). Their perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs about being deaf and language have a great impact on how deaf children develop and acquire language. Understanding how families come to have these beliefs and perspectives can help professionals better understand the possible influences on their perspectives and the decisions they make. With that, families and professionals can work collaboratively to develop a successful family language policy and develop appropriate plans for providing services for their child and family. Parents and caregivers are the key participants who create policies on their language practices within their families (Spolsky, 2004; 2012). Their decisions rely on various factors including their own experiences, information received from others and from societal forces (King, Fogle & Logan-Terry, 2009). The presenters will guide the participants in a discussion of the possible factors impacting families’ decisions about language choices and use with their deaf and hard of hearing children and propose specific strategies and approaches to promote successful family language policy and planning for their children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Presentation: This presentation has not yet been uploaded or the speaker has opted not to make the presentation available online. Handouts: Handout is not Available CART: CART Transcription is not Available
PRESENTER(S) / AUTHOR(S) INFORMATION
Julie Mitchiner - Co-Presenter,POC Gallaudet University      Credentials: Ph.D       Julie Mitchiner, Ph.D is an assistant professor in the Education Department at Gallaudet University with a primary focus on Early Childhood Education. She previously taught at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center in their bilingual ASL/English Early Childhood Program. Julie completed her Ph.D in Education at George Mason University with a specialization in Early Childhood Education and a secondary concentration in multicultural/multilingual education. Her dissertation focused on exploring the beliefs of deaf families who have young children with cochlear implants related to language development in ASL and English.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Christi Batamula - Co-Presenter Gallaudet University      Credentials: PhD candidate       Christi Batamula has been working at Gallaudet University since 2005, first as an early childhood educator at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and now as an instructor in the Department of Education. She has earned a Bachelor's degree from Geneva College in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Deaf Education From Gallaudet University. She is a student at George Mason University taking classes in International Education, Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education. Her area of interest is on working with culturally diverse Deaf learners and their families. She has taught in Deaf schools: Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and Kendall Demonstration School for the Deaf, a mainstream school: Mantua Elementary in Fairfax County Public Schools, and an oral-based school for children with Cochlear Implants: The River School. Through all of these experiences, Christi developed her passion for bilingual education and language development for diverse learners.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Bobbie Jo Kite - Co-Presenter Gallaudet University      Credentials: PhD candidate       Originally from Pennsylvania, Bobbie Jo received her B.A. in Early Childhood Education in 2004 and her M.A. in Deaf Education in 2005 from Gallaudet University. She has taught Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School for 5 years and Kindergarten-First grade at New Mexico School for the Deaf for a year. She is currently working on her Ph.D. from George Mason University, specializing in Early Childhood Education and Multilingual/Multicultural Education. Her dissertation proposal is focused on Family Language Planning in Families with Deaf babies. In addition, Bobbie Jo provides consulting services to ASL & English bimodal bilingual programs nationwide.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Cara Keith - Co-Presenter Gallaudet University      Credentials: MA       Cara Keith is a west coast transplant, she was born in raised in California and moved to Washington, DC in 2006 to pursue her graduate degree from Gallaudet University. She holds a Bachelor's degree from California State University Northridge in Deaf Studies, a second Bachelor's degree from Gallaudet in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in ASL/English Bilingual Education also from Gallaudet. She taught young children in kindergarten and pre-kindergarten at Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland for most of her teaching experience. Currently she is a second year PhD student at Gallaudet University in their Critical Studies in the Education of Deaf Learners program. Her research interests are on language and cultural capital for the empowerment of educators and families of young Deaf and hard of hearing children.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.