BEWARE of the “Critical Language Period” Defense

At a D/HH conference this week, speakers were discussing the “Critical Language Development Period” during which language appears to develop naturally and with little effort by the child or family. To illustrate the urgency of capitalizing on this developmental period, the presenters included a dramatic graphic of a digital alarm clock. In bold red letters, the display on the clock blared: TOO LATE.

My hackles went up immediately. Too often I have heard professionals in Deaf Ed use the “critical period” as a reason for LOWERING EXPECTATIONS and DECREASING SERVICES for students who have passed whatever age is considered to be “the End” of that precious “Period”.  Consider an 8-year old child whose family chose for her to learn spoken language. The child’s teacher asks the SLP why there are no specific articulation or syntax goals in the IEP, and the SLP said, “She has passed the critical language period.”

NO!

These students have entered a “Period” in which they need MORE SERVICES and they need families and professionals to WORK HARDER, not give up. LANGUAGE practice is now more CRITICAL. PERIOD.

If a family has chosen spoken language for their child’s communication, I can offer guidance, options and research. But I cannot ignore the family’s choice. Period. My obligation is to do my best to provide that child with the best possible outcome, given the choice made by the family.

Because, maybe, regardless of what the research says, and what the theories propose, it really is true that “When you’ve seen one deaf child, you’ve seen one deaf child.”