How can I work with a student who is D/HOH and speaks ASL but struggles with written English?

• Students who are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) often struggle with written English.  ASL is the first language for many ASL users, and English is a non-native second language.
   

• Because there is no written form of ASL, there are no newspapers, magazines or books written in ASL. Translating ASL to written English or vice versa is a multi-step and inexact process.
   

• A common misconception (as stated previously) about ASL is that it is a simple translation of English. In fact, it is a distinct language.
   

• Consequently, an ASL speaker faces many of the same challenges with reading and writing in English as others for whom English is a second language. Because written language learning is typically linked to hearing and producing language, a student who is deaf has an added barrier to learning written English.
   

• D/HOH students differ from their ESL counterparts in that they cannot take advantage of incidental learning that takes place in the home, on tv, etc.

• If the student develops a conceptual understanding of the topic first, this will make deciphering the English easier, so if a teacher can make learning more hands-on or visual, this will help the student and probably many other students in the class as well.
   

• Because translation may cause the student to lag behind a little in following lectures or discussions, the teacher needs to be mindful to allow sufficient wait time so he can make a meaningful contribution to the class.
   

• An instructor could also be open to alternative methods of demonstrating understanding, such as the use of diagrams and other pictures to supplement written text.