Development and evaluation of signed language development assessment tools for deaf and hard-of-hearing children

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The purpose of this study was to develop and to evaluate the signed language development assessment tools for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. These developmental tools were to enable to assess the children's signed language developmental level in the classroom's situation by the teachers who were not necessarily so fluent in the signed language. In addition, these tools were not comprehensive nor time-consuming, but simple, and easily performing ones. Through using these tools, the teachers can plan to implement the program in which the children can learn and be instructed Japanese reading and writing through the signed language. Therefore these tools were focusing on preschool- and early elementary school-level children. During 2004, I gathered the data on sign language development longitudinally, which might be part of items for developmental assessment. I also reviewed on the various attempts on the previous development of signed language developmental scales, classifying the types of assessment tools, and discussing their purpose and contents to be assessed. During 2005, based on these data and also referencing to other early attempts of development in singed language assessment, I developed two types of assessment tools ; one was the checklist of expressive signed language development and the other was the test of receptive signed language skills, using video-taped signed talks. I also got consulted by native deaf people concerning the contents and items for assessment.