ABSTRACT
More than 90 per cent of deaf children are born into hearing families who have little or no previous experience of deafness or sign language. For children who cannot access spoken language and therefore need to sign, the family is in the unusual position of having to learn a language at the same time as their child. Families who learn British Sign Language to facilitate communication with their deaf child tend to use it in a functional way, with the emotional and conversational aspects of language being much more limited. SmiLE Therapy provides an intervention for deaf students that takes the focus away from their speech difficulties and language delay and empowers them to make significant improvements in their communication, using a variety of strategies. The essence of smiLE Therapy is for students to learn how to be actively responsible for their own communication and social participation without the constant need for adult back-up or support.
