Miss Isabella Krkac1, Daniela Fin, Katherine Phelan, Emma Bugarija, Lisette Ann Davis, Raphaella Burrett, Inge Kaltenbrunn, Christina Petherick
1Nextsense, , Australia
Biography:
Isabella Krkac graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a Master of Speech and Language Pathology. A certified practicing speech pathologist at NextSense, she works primarily with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She is also pursuing her Diploma in Auslan to further deepen her expertise. Daniela (Ela) Fin is an Auslan Language Model at NextSense, who provides education and rich language experiences to Deaf and Hard of Hearing families. Within NextSense bilingual-bicultural early intervention service, Isabella and Ela are dedicated to empowering children through effective communication strategies and inclusive practices.
Abstract
Early access to linguistic input is paramount for successful communication and language development in children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH). Family Centred Early Intervention (FCEI) Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Principles state that early access to language is imperative, whether the language is signed or spoken. Early and consistent exposure to language that is accessible to children who are DHH supports their learning, cognitive and socio-emotional development, self-advocacy, and sense of identity. This project aimed to pilot, implement and evaluate a bilingual-bicultural early intervention model based on best practices from the literature. This presentation will discuss how this service model aligns with FCEI DHH best practice principles and focuses on the provision of rich language models in Auslan, inclusion of knowledge of the Deaf community/culture through DHH role models in service delivery and how Speech Pathologists/Teachers of the Deaf (Key Workers) facilitate individual and group sessions with Auslan Language Models. The impact of this service model on child and family outcomes is presented through case studies. The introduction of Auslan was associated with accelerated language and communication development in young children, evidencing the potential to support cognition and socio-emotional development. Positive parental reports further supported this notion. These findings suggest that a bilingual-bicultural approach in EI may alleviate the risk of language deprivation and associated adverse impacts on cognition and psychosocial wellbeing. Further research on the language, developmental, and psychosocial outcomes of children in bilingual-bicultural EI programs is indicated and the professional competencies required to deliver them.