Identity formation in bimodal-bilingual children of Deaf adults (Codas).
Karin Allard, Carin Roos
PMID 40577237WHAT IT FOUND
Bimodal-bilingual adults described forming identities not as Deaf, hearing or Coda, but as different from both groups.
They reported early visual sensitivity, metalinguistic awareness and social empathy from growing up between sign and spoken languages.
Key findings
01Participants described a multifaceted, bicultural identity, seeing themselves as different from both hearing people and Deaf people, rather than adopting a single distinct Coda, Deaf or hearing identity.
02Growing up with sign language fostered early metalinguistic awareness, visual sensitivity and social empathy, which participants identified as core parts of their adult identities.
03Eleven of the twelve participants invested in developing and safeguarding Swedish Sign Language, with some choosing occupations linked to Deaf culture and advocacy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used snowball sampling, which may limit the diversity of perspectives. The researchers were not Codas themselves, which may affect the interpretation of within-group experiences. The sample was small (12 participants) and specific to the Swedish context, so findings may not apply to other cultures. Interview questions did not cover factors like gender, race or social class, so the influence of these on identity was not explored.
Declared interests
The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. No specific financial conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the participants' reported visual sensitivity and metalinguistic awareness as clinical outcomes or deficits. These are self-described identity traits from a small qualitative sample, not evidence of cognitive advantage or impairment.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →