Sign Language Instruction for Deafness

Overseen By David H. Smith, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Disqualifiers: Non-deaf children, Non teachers, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 9 months

150 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This quasi-experimental study involves teachers divided into an experimental group and a control group. Teachers in the experimental group will receive SISI training to support the sign language development of deaf children, while those in the control group will continue with "business-as-usual" teaching methods. Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted for all deaf children at the beginning and end of the school year.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Strategic and Interactive Signing Instruction (SISI) for deafness?

Research shows that teaching sign language to caregivers and peers can improve communication and social interactions for individuals with communication challenges, such as those with brain damage or hearing impairments. Training programs that include modeling, practice, and feedback have been effective in teaching and maintaining signing skills, which suggests that similar methods could be beneficial in the SISI treatment for deafness. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is sign language instruction safe for humans?

There is no specific safety data available for sign language instruction, but it is generally considered safe as it involves teaching communication skills without physical interventions. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How is the Strategic and Interactive Signing Instruction (SISI) treatment different from other treatments for deafness?

The Strategic and Interactive Signing Instruction (SISI) treatment is unique because it focuses on improving language and communication skills through interactive and strategic sign language instruction, which is tailored to the needs of deaf and hard of hearing individuals. This approach is distinct from other treatments as it emphasizes personalized learning and interactive engagement, which have shown promising results in improving language outcomes. ^{7 10 11 12 13}

Research Team

Leala Holcomb, PhD

Principal Investigator

Center of Deafness

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for deaf children in prekindergarten to 3rd grade and their teachers. The study aims to include those involved in deaf education programs, specifically targeting educators teaching these grades.

Inclusion Criteria

* Deaf children in prekindergarten to 3rd grade classes in deaf education programs

* Teachers of the deaf teaching prekindergarten to 3rd grade classes

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-assessment

Pre-assessments conducted for all deaf children at the beginning of the school year

1-2 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Teachers in the experimental group receive SISI training and implement the framework; control group continues with regular methods

9 months

Post-assessment

Post-assessments conducted for all deaf children at the end of the school year

1-2 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for language development outcomes after the treatment phase

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Strategic and Interactive Signing Instruction

Trial Overview The study tests a new method called Strategic and Interactive Signing Instruction (SISI) against the standard 'business-as-usual' teaching methods. Teachers will be split into two groups: one receiving SISI training and the other continuing with current practices.

Participant Groups

Group I: Quasi-Experimental Study - Experimental Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This quasi-experimental study involves teachers divided into an experimental group and a control group. Teachers in the experimental group will receive SISI training to support the sign language development of deaf children, while those in the control group will continue with "business-as-usual" teaching methods. Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted for all deaf children at the beginning and end of the school year.

Group II: Quasi-Experimental Study - Control Placebo Group 1 Intervention

This quasi-experimental study involves teachers divided into an experimental group and a control group. Teachers in the experimental group will receive SISI training to support the sign language development of deaf children, while those in the control group will continue with "business-as-usual" teaching methods. Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted for all deaf children at the beginning and end of the school year.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Lead Sponsor

Trials

93

Recruited

19,500+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials

377

Recruited

190,000+

Findings from Research

A training program effectively taught manual sign language skills to various staff members (including paraprofessionals, habilitation specialists, and nurses) in three studies, ensuring they could communicate with severely and profoundly mentally retarded individuals.

The staff not only learned the signs quickly but also maintained their skills over time and incorporated them into daily interactions, highlighting the importance of training caregivers for functional communication in this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A rapid training procedure for teaching manual sign language skills to multidisciplinary institutional staff. Fitzgerald, JR., Reid, DH., Schepis, MM., et al.[2019]

A 66-week sign language training program for a brain-damaged, aphasic patient resulted in the learning of 14 signs, demonstrating the potential for communication improvement in such patients.

Inclusion of a peer during training significantly enhanced the patient's performance and socialization, leading to increased eye contact, gestures, and attempted speech, with retention of skills observed even months after the program ended.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peer-facilitated sign language training for a geriatric stroke victim with chronic brain damage. Wisocki, PA., Mosher, PM.[2015]

Over a 12-month period, five hearing parents of hearing-impaired children showed significant improvements in their communication skills, including spoken and signed input, after receiving targeted feedback and intervention sessions.

All parents made progress in at least one area of communication, enabling them to deliver clear and understandable messages to their children, which is crucial for effective interaction and support.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing parents' use of SEE-2. Progress and retention. Luetke-Stahlman, B., Moeller, MP.[2019]

Parent Centered Early Interventions (PCEI) that incorporate gestures can enhance the caregiver-child relationship and support language development, particularly in children with atypical development or from low-income families.

Although gesture-oriented PCEI shows promise for improving communication in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (cSNHL), this approach has not been extensively studied in this specific context, suggesting a need for further research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Symbolic and deictic gestures as a tool to promote parent-child communication in the context of hearing loss: A systematic review. Colombani, A., Saksida, A., Pavani, F., et al.[2023]

Self-instruction training effectively improved the pragmatic communication skills of a profoundly hearing-impaired child, showing immediate results when the child practiced independently.

The training also had a gradual positive impact on semantic communication skills, with these improvements being maintained even when the treatment was administered by different people or in different settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of self-instruction training on a deaf child's semantic and pragmatic production. Swanson, HL.[2019]

A qualitative study involving 19 Deaf participants using British Sign Language (BSL) identified six key conditions necessary for developing effective clinical trial information that enhances understanding and informed consent.

The research emphasizes the importance of creating trial terminology from a community perspective, ensuring that information is culturally sensitive and uses contemporary language to avoid misunderstandings, thereby supporting ethical participation in clinical trials.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A qualitative exploration of trial-related terminology in a study involving Deaf British Sign Language users. Young, A., Oram, R., Dodds, C., et al.[2021]

Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) significantly improved the writing skills of deaf and hard of hearing elementary students, particularly in information reports and persuasive writing, as shown by five case studies.

A larger group study with 31 students also demonstrated statistically significant improvements across all writing genres, indicating that SIWI is an effective instructional method for enhancing written expression in this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Writing Performance of Elementary Students Receiving Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction. Wolbers, KA., Dostal, HM., Graham, S., et al.[2015]

A new stroke preparedness video was successfully adapted for the Deaf community by collaborating with Deaf individuals to ensure it was comprehensible and culturally appropriate.

Future research will focus on testing the effectiveness of this video in improving stroke symptom recognition and encouraging timely emergency calls, which are crucial for receiving acute stroke treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Expanding Stroke Preparedness to Vulnerable Populations: A Music Video for the Deaf Community. Springer, MV., Corches, CL., McCracklin, B., et al.[2021]

In a study involving 224 adults with typical development, the distinct Key Word Signing (KWS) lexicon (SMOG) was found to have higher iconicity compared to Flemish Sign Language (FSL), making it potentially more accessible for individuals with communication difficulties.

The results suggest that using a separate sign lexicon like SMOG may be beneficial for enhancing communication, especially for those with intellectual disabilities, although considerations for availability and inclusion are also important.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Key Word Signing Has Higher Iconicity Than Sign Language. Rombouts, E., Maessen, B., Maes, B., et al.[2021]

The study explores a bilingual instructional approach using video materials to teach English to deaf children fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), leveraging technology for enhanced learning.

The project aims to investigate how ASL and English can work together to improve English language acquisition among deaf students, highlighting the potential for cooperative learning strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interactive video for bilingual ASL/English instruction of deaf children. Hanson, VL., Padden, CA.[2019]

In a study with 28 hearing college students, it was found that learning and retention of American Sign Language signs were significantly better for iconic signs compared to opaque or abstract signs.

Training through videotaped presentations led to the most consistent performance scores, suggesting that this method may be more effective for teaching sign vocabulary.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Iconicity and sign vocabulary acquisition. Beykirch, HL., Holcomb, TA., Harrington, JF.[2019]

Younger deaf signing children (aged 4-7) showed more frequent omissions of signs compared to older children (aged 8-12) and deaf signing adults, indicating that age impacts the mastery of Italian Sign Language (LIS).

The study found that non-manual components (like facial expressions) used alongside manual signs are particularly challenging for younger children to learn, highlighting specific areas where linguistic skills develop more slowly.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sign Language Skills Assessed Through a Sentence Reproduction Task. Rinaldi, P., Caselli, MC., Lucioli, T., et al.[2019]

The DAVID instructional system combines motion, color, and audio from instructional television with interactive features to meet the unique educational needs of deaf students, enhancing their learning experience.

Preliminary testing of the DAVID system, developed for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, showed promising results in effectively engaging deaf students through individualized instruction and immediate feedback.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A description of the DAVID interactive instructional television system and its application to post-high school education of the deaf. vonFeldt, JR.[2019]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A rapid training procedure for teaching manual sign language skills to multidisciplinary institutional staff. [2019]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peer-facilitated sign language training for a geriatric stroke victim with chronic brain damage. [2015]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing parents' use of SEE-2. Progress and retention. [2019]

4. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Symbolic and deictic gestures as a tool to promote parent-child communication in the context of hearing loss: A systematic review. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of self-instruction training on a deaf child's semantic and pragmatic production. [2019]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A qualitative exploration of trial-related terminology in a study involving Deaf British Sign Language users. [2021]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Writing Performance of Elementary Students Receiving Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction. [2015]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Expanding Stroke Preparedness to Vulnerable Populations: A Music Video for the Deaf Community. [2021]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Key Word Signing Has Higher Iconicity Than Sign Language. [2021]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interactive video for bilingual ASL/English instruction of deaf children. [2019]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Iconicity and sign vocabulary acquisition. [2019]

12. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sign Language Skills Assessed Through a Sentence Reproduction Task. [2019]

13. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A description of the DAVID interactive instructional television system and its application to post-high school education of the deaf. [2019]