Visual-Motor Integration in Language Learning Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Sensorimotor integration is an unconscious process of the brain incorporating multiple senses and movement. This review aimed to synthesize the literature on the role of visual-motor integration in language learning, whether spoken or signed, for deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children. Nineteen peer-reviewed studies published between 1980 and 2021 were identified. The number and age of the participants, their hearing status, types of hearing technology, communication modalities, assessment, and findings were synthesized. The review suggests that visual-motor integration and motor development are predictors of spoken language performance. The visual-motor pathway appears to be crucial in sign language learning for D/HH children, and phonological characteristics of sign language facilitate their language development through neural processing. While additional empirical research is needed, the conclusions of this review suggests that D/HH children, regardless of communication modality, may benefit from a focus on visual-motor integration in early childhood.