American Sign Language is a complete, natural language with its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. It is not a signed version of English. It is a separate language. In an ASL-English bilingual approach, a Deaf child learns ASL as their first or primary language and develops English (through reading, writing, and sometimes speech) as a second language. Both are treated as full languages.

This approach is sometimes called bimodal bilingual because the child uses two language modalities: visual-spatial (ASL) and auditory-spoken or written (English).

A child in a bilingual program uses ASL at school and at home. Family members who do not already sign learn ASL. For hearing parents, this is a real commitment. English develops through reading and writing, the same path hearing children take when learning a second language. Strong bilingual programs have teachers who are fluent in ASL, and many include Deaf teachers and staff who use ASL as their primary language.

Outside the classroom, connection to the Deaf community matters. Being around Deaf adults and peers gives a child language models, cultural identity, and access to a community where their language is everyone's language: not an accommodation, not a workaround, but simply the language of the room.

Hearing parents typically start with very little ASL. The first year or two involves a real learning curve. Children often become more fluent than their parents within a few years, which is worth knowing going in. Deaf community resources can make a significant difference: Deaf-led family ASL classes, Deaf mentors, and early intervention teams familiar with this approach.

Schools need staff who are ASL-fluent and a program structure that genuinely supports both languages. An interpreter in the classroom is not the same thing as a bilingual program, and the distinction matters for your child's daily language access.

The research base for early signed language as a foundation for language development is strong. Establishing a complete first language early supports second language acquisition and literacy outcomes later. Studies on language deprivation, including Humphries et al. (2012) and research by Wyatte Hall and colleagues, document the consequences when children are denied consistent, full language access in the critical early years.

There is no peer-reviewed evidence that using sign language prevents or delays speech development in children with residual hearing or cochlear implants. Children who grow up with ASL and also wear hearing devices often develop spoken language alongside signing. A study of native-signing deaf children with cochlear implants found they developed spoken English in line with expectations for implanted children, indicating that early sign language did not hold back speech (Davidson, Lillo-Martin, and Chen Pichler, 2014, Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 19(2), 238–250).

Research on bilingual language development more broadly supports access to a strong first language as a foundation for second language acquisition. Work on age and language acquisition finds that solid early first-language experience, signed or spoken, shapes a child’s later ability to acquire a second language (Mayberry and Lock, 2003, Brain and Language, 87(3), 369–384).

Strength of evidence: moderate to strong for language development outcomes. Specific outcome comparisons across approaches depend heavily on study design and sample composition. See Marketing vs. Evidence for guidance on reading that research.

For children who are both deaf and have low vision or no functional vision, communication approaches extend beyond the visual. ProTactile is a tactile communication system developed by and within the DeafBlind community. It builds on tactile ASL and includes an emerging ProTactile language being documented by researchers and used within DeafBlind communities. Families navigating dual sensory loss should seek out DeafBlind-specific early intervention resources, including specialists trained in ProTactile and tactile communication. A dedicated page covering DeafBlind communication approaches is planned for this site.

“If we use sign language, will my child have any motivation to learn to speak?”

Many Deaf children who grow up signing also develop some spoken language, particularly with amplification. The two are not mutually exclusive. What the research shows consistently is that signing does not suppress speech development. Many families find that signing reduces the pressure around speech, because the child already has language, and that spoken language develops at its own pace alongside it. The goal is a child with language access; speech, when it develops, is additional.

Ask for the research if anyone tells you sign language will harm your child’s speech development. This claim is not supported by the peer-reviewed literature.

Be cautious of a school that has an “ASL program” but no Deaf staff and few ASL-fluent teachers. Ask specifically: Are any of your staff Deaf? How fluent are your teachers in ASL?

An interpreter-only model (where signing happens through a third party rather than directly from teachers and peers) limits your child’s direct access to language in the room. Ask how instruction is delivered, not just whether interpreting is available.

Ask whether your child has contact with Deaf community members and Deaf adult role models as part of the program, not as an occasional event.

• Communication approaches: overview
• Language access: what it means for Deaf children
• Can my child learn both ASL and spoken language?
• Language deprivation: what it is and why it happens
• Monitoring language and academic progress
• Language testing: what it covers and why it matters

This page provides general information, not legal or medical advice. Verify your state’s specific rules and programs, and consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your child.