The Radical Middle: Caregiver Beliefs About Language Access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

The purpose of this study was to explore the communication choices of caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children. Specifically, we explored what communication options caregivers were presented with, identify what factors impacted a caregiver’s decision to pursue spoken language, and identify what barriers exist to learning sign language. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 caregivers of DHH children who had decision making power at the time of their child’s diagnosis. Transcripts were coded using an inductive approach with triangulation between authors. Many families reported that minimal to no information was provided about communication options at the time of their child’s diagnosis. The most common factor impacting the decision to pursue spoken language was caregivers’ wish for their child to have a connection with their hearing family. Common barriers to learning sign language included difficulty finding in-person courses and difficulty integrating the vocabulary they learned into their everyday communication. Providers should provide comprehensive information in an unbiased way and consider the impact families’ grief may have on their ability to process information in the moment. Additionally, there is a mismatch between what beginner sign language courses offer and the needs of families of DHH children.