Deaf Language Specialists: Delivering Language Therapy in Signed Languages.
Joanna Hoskin, Ros Herman, Bencie Woll
PMID 36504375WHAT IT FOUND
Deaf language specialists working with children in British Sign Language report limited training and few evidence-based interventions.
They share assessment goals with speech therapists but lack the terminology and resources to plan and evaluate therapy effectively.
Key findings
01Most Deaf language specialists have no additional training to work with children who have language learning difficulties in BSL.
02DLSs and SLPs consider many of the same approaches when working with children with language difficulties, but DLSs focus on assessment with little consideration of therapeutic intervention.
03DLSs reported that the language needed to describe children’s difficulties and to explain their interventions was not always available to them.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included a small number of participants (23 total), limiting the generalizability of the findings. The anonymous nature of the questionnaire meant the researchers could not determine if any participants took part in both the questionnaire and focus groups. All questionnaire responses were submitted in written English, even though BSL options were provided, which may have influenced the data collected. The study describes current practice and perceptions but does not measure patient outcomes or the effectiveness of the interventions delivered.
Declared interests
Funded by St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust and South West London.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the similarity in assessment practices between DLSs and SLPs as evidence that DLSs are delivering comparable therapeutic interventions. The study found that DLSs focus heavily on assessment with little consideration of therapeutic intervention and lack the training and resources to plan and evaluate therapy effectively.