ASL Services for Hearing Loss

(FASL Trial)

Overseen By Diane C Lillo-Martin, Ph.D.

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Connecticut

Disqualifiers: Cognitive conditions, No internet, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 12 months

40 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how deaf and hard of hearing children, along with their parents, learn and develop American Sign Language (ASL). It examines the impact of ASL services, which are support programs for learning ASL, on improving ASL fluency for both children and adults over six-week periods. Ideal participants include children who are deaf or hard of hearing and involved in bilingual programs using both speech and sign language, along with one adult caregiver for each child. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to enhance understanding and improve ASL learning for families.

What prior data suggests that ASL services are safe for DHH children and their parents?

Research has shown that using American Sign Language (ASL) services is safe, unlike some medical treatments. ASL services improve communication for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Studies emphasize the importance of these services in closing communication gaps, especially in healthcare. Since ASL services don't involve medication or medical procedures, they carry no typical side effects or risks. Participants in trials with ASL services usually experience improved language skills without safety concerns. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about ASL Services for hearing loss because they offer a unique approach to improving communication skills. Unlike traditional treatments that often focus on hearing aids or cochlear implants, this method emphasizes enhancing American Sign Language (ASL) fluency, providing a vital communication tool for both adults and children. By tailoring ASL services specifically to support language development, this trial could pave the way for more effective and accessible communication strategies for those with hearing loss, offering an alternative to the standard auditory-focused interventions.

What evidence suggests that ASL services are effective for improving ASL fluency in DHH children and their parents?

Research has shown that American Sign Language (ASL) services can enhance communication for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This trial will evaluate ASL services in two treatment arms: one focusing on Adult ASL Development and the other on Child Language Development. Studies indicate that Deaf adults who regularly use sign language report better health, suggesting that ASL services might enhance overall well-being by facilitating communication. Additionally, one study found that many healthcare providers feel confident communicating with Deaf patients, even without interpreters, highlighting the importance of knowing ASL. This evidence supports the idea that ASL services can improve language and communication skills in both children and adults. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Diane C Lillo-Martin, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Connecticut

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This study is for deaf or hard of hearing children aged between 2 to almost 3 years, who are part of a program that supports both spoken and sign language learning. They must have an adult caregiver involved. Children with other conditions affecting language/cognitive skills or families without internet access cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

I am part of a program that uses both sign language and spoken language.

My child is deaf or hard-of-hearing.

My child is between 2 years and 2 years 11 months old.

Exclusion Criteria

Children with other diagnosed conditions that can affect how they learn and think, apart from being deaf.

Families without access to internet (at home or other locations)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants complete preliminary language tasks to assess baseline performance on ASL measures

1 week

Treatment

Participants receive weekly sessions with an ASL Specialist to support their development of ASL, following a 6-week on/6-week off ABABABAB sequence

12 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in ASL phonological production accuracy and production frequency

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• ASL Services

Trial Overview The trial is exploring how services supporting the learning of American Sign Language (ASL) affect the development of ASL in deaf and hard of hearing children as well as their parents over time.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: ASL Services - Child Language Development Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Presence (or absence, across 6-week periods) of ASL services designed to support improvement in ASL fluency

Group II: ASL Services - Adult ASL Development Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Presence (or absence, across 6-week periods) of ASL services designed to support improvement in ASL fluency

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Connecticut

Lead Sponsor

Trials

194

Recruited

162,000+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials

377

Recruited

190,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11020444/

Health outcomes in Deaf signing populations: A systematic ... A UK study using the EQ-5D-5L recorded a mean health-state value of 0.78 for Deaf people compared to the mean health-state value for the general population of a ...

2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29696596/

American Sign Language Interpreters Perceptions of ... This research aimed to identify American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters' perceptions of barriers to effective communication between deaf and HOH patients and ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399124000363

Examining the differences of perceptions and experience ... Approximately 17% (36 million) of American adults reported some degree of hearing loss [1], with approximately 500,000 to 1000,000 individuals identifying as ...

4. medrxiv.org medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.26.24301843v1.full-text

Health outcomes in Deaf signing populations: a systematic ... This is the first systematic review of health and mental health outcomes that focused solely on evidence concerning Deaf adults who are sign language users.

5. pubs.asha.org pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00052

Reframing Our Health Care System for Patients With ... One study found that 87% of providers felt they communicated effectively with their Deaf signing patients, even in the absence of interpreters, through ...

6. abc27.com abc27.com/local-news/first-responders-learning-american-sign-language-to-better-assist-residents/

First responders learning American Sign Language to ... According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, 8.6 percent of Pennsylvania's population has hearing loss. Add as preferred source on ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9257506/

Community-Engaged Needs Assessment of Deaf American ... We examined differences in health risk behaviors, concerns, and access to health care among Deaf ASL users and hearing English speakers living in Florida.

8. ulatus.com ulatus.com/translation-blog/why-asl-interpretation-is-crucial-in-the-medical-industry/

How Crucial is ASL Interpretation in the Medical Industry? ASL interpretation can help the deaf community in various settings. It is the key to bridging the communication gap between healthcare professionals and deaf ...

9. patientsafetyj.com patientsafetyj.com/article/138084-overcoming-communication-barriers-to-improve-patient-safety-for-american-sign-language-users-who-are-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing

Overcoming Communication Barriers to Improve Patient ... It is important to address communication barriers for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing and communicate via ASL.

10. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10664265/

Exploring the health literacy status of people with hearing ... Individuals with hearing impairment were found to have lower health literacy, when compared to those without impairment, which can lead to a higher medical ...