Speech-language pathologists' perceptions of common myths related to deaf and hard of hearing children who use signed...

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have little formal education related to the needs of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children who use a signed language and often report feeling underprepared to work with this population. Although a small subset of SLPs specialize in working with DHH children, the majority of DHH children are served by generalist SLPs without specialized training. We surveyed 50 SLPs (26 self-reported DHH specialists) to better understand SLPs' awareness of common myths or misunderstandings about issues related to DHH children and signed language. For 13/22 statements (59%), both groups responded similarly and consistent with the answer established by literature review, suggesting that both groups shared sufficient knowledge to successfully reject myths and endorse facts. For the remaining nine statements (41%), generalist responses differed significantly from specialist responses covering topics such as knowledge about natural signed languages, language development for DHH children, and language and educational access, reflecting greater variability/less confidence in their knowledge. These results can inform graduate curricula and continuing education experiences for generalist SLPs as they work to close gaps in knowledge and strive to provide high-quality client-centered care for DHH children who use signed language.