Right to use sign language in educational programmes

For many years, researchers in linguistics have documented American Sign Language as meeting the criteria for a formal 'language'. Having served as a program administrator in programs serving infants, preschoolers, children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing, it is critical to understand that each child has different learning styles and preferences that facilitate understanding and expression of ideas. Sign language has been demonstrated for centuries to facilitate language development and has cultural implications for those in the community that identify as Deaf. Banning a language (whether sign language or other native languages) is foreign to human experience. When the educator workforce can adapt education to a wide range of communication preferences and expand children's capacity for language rather than restrict usage, we will have jumped into the 21st century with an open approach to teaching and learning that accommodates education for all.