Processing Orthographic Structure: Associations Between Print and Fingerspelling

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For over a century educators and researchers have been trying to determine how profoundly deaf children learn to read. Deaf children are in the unique position of learning to read and write a language that they do not speak and cannot hear. Unlike people who can hear, though, deaf people experience English orthography in two forms: as printed text and as fingerspelling, in which each alphabetic letter is represented by a distinct hand configuration. This project investigates whether fingerspelling can be used as an additional code for retaining English print in memory and whether printed or fingerspelled words are linked to phonology (speech-based representations). By identifying the similarities and differences between reading print and "reading" fingerspelling, one can identify how fingerspelling might be most effectively used in reading instruction. Another aim of the project is to use data from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to identify the brain areas that support the reading of print and fingerspelling for deaf readers. Specifically, the project will a) examine whether ASL signs are activated when deaf adults read English words, b) assess functional connectivity within the reading circuit for deaf signers, and c) identify the effects of deafness, acquisition of a sign language, and/or reading skill on brain anatomy. Finally, a parallel aim of the project is to increase the representation of deaf people in science by including deaf researchers on the project and by providing an accessible environment for deaf students to gain research experience.