THE PROCESS OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN DEAF CHILDREN

The development of language is an integral part of the cognitive and social development. American Sign Language (ASL) is an important avenue for communication and language acquisition for deaf children. This study aims to explore the stages of ASL acquisition in the deaf children, factors that affect their acquisition and the importance of early language exposure. This work is qualitative, through a review of existing studies in the field of sign language acquisition. The results demonstrated that the patterns of deaf children exposed to ASL from birth are similar to that of hearing children exposed to spoken language. Young babies who are exposed to ASL early develop cognitive, linguistic and social skills that make a significant contribution to their development. The study emphasises the need for accessible language environments for deaf children and the need to promote early sign language education.