I. Addendum: California School for the Deaf in Fremont Philosophy
Statement on Cochlear Implants
The cochlear implant subcommittee of the Bi-Bi committee at the California
School generated this statement for the Deaf in Fremont
(http://www.csdf.k12.ca.us/) to share in the proceedings of this conference.
The California School for the Deaf, Fremont, is committed to the
bilingual/bicultural philosophy with the whole child in mind. Allowing children to
develop their first language (American Sign Language) while acquiring a second
language (English) is the core of any bilingual model of education. The
ASL/English bilingual approach strives to expose children to both languages as
early as possible.
We believe that language and speech are not synonymous. However, language
is the foundation from which to develop meaningful speech. Therefore, in order to
understand the content presented in a classroom and to develop speech skills, a
Deaf child must first have access to a natural, visual/spatial language (ASL). We
recognize that ASL does not impede the development of speech skills or written
English, but rather that ASL enhances both developmental areas.
The school community is in the process of determining how to best serve
students with cochlear implants within a bilingual/bicultural environment.
Meanwhile, the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, will continue to provide
quality instruction to meet the academic, linguistic, and social/emotional needs of
our students.
This document is part of the “Cochlear Implants and Sign Language: Putting It All Together (Identifying Effective Practices
for Educational Settings)” conference held April 11-12, 2002, at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
© Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
Cochlear Implant Education Center: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/CIEC
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