Initiative Co-Director, Visual Language and Gesture University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
My current program of research focuses on deaf children's language development, both American Sign Language and English, especially within the school context. Teachers often become the primary linguistic model for deaf preschool aged children. In one of my current projects, I am investigating the ways that deaf teachers support deaf children's identity and language development through visual means. This project is funded through the NSF Science of Learning Centers program (VL2: Visual Language and Visual Learning, Gallaudet University). Other recent projects include: technologies for ASL and English literacy development; development of ASL proficiency assessments; English written language assessment for school aged deaf children; Atypical Sign Acquisition. I have a continuing program of service and outreach, focusing on breast cancer awareness in the Deaf community, hearing children of deaf adults, and UIUC campus accessibility for students, faculty, and staff with disabilities. I am also a Commissioner on the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission.
The is material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number SBE-0541953. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
My current program of research focuses on deaf children's language development, both American Sign Language and English, especially within the school context. Teachers often become the primary linguistic model for deaf preschool aged children. In one of my current projects, I am investigating the ways that deaf teachers support deaf children's identity and language development through visual means. This project is funded through the NSF