PT Kids Fall Updates
PT Kids Study: From project launch to exciting milestones, empowering DeafBlind children through protactile language acquisition. Stay connected for updates!
We are interested in learning how DeafBlind children learn a new language that is completely accessible through touch, called "protactile language." We are seeking participation from families with DeafBlind children aged 0-5.
While we are currently working with families in Arizona and Texas, we welcome interest from families in other areas of the country as potential future research sites.
Email: ptkids@gallaudet.edu
The number of DeafBlind kids in the United States under 18 years old.
Families in our study from Arizona and Texas
The children in our study are engaged in a completely touch-based language, Protactile, with DeafBlind adults
Investigating early language acquisition for DeafBlind children through touch-based protactile communication.
Examining how DeafBlind children contribute to the development and evolution of protactile language.
Exploring the benefits of early exposure to protactile language for the enhancement of DeafBlind children's linguistic development.
Protactile language developed among DeafBlind adults since about 2007 as part of the Protactile movement. While many of those DeafBlind adults had learned American Sign Language before, the two languages are now very different. Protactile language has been shown to have its own, new grammar that is completely accessible to DeafBlind people.
Protactile language is new; only adults have grown and used this language so far. But we know that learning language early in life is key to child development and that children contribute to language growth. We hope to teach DeafBlind children Protactile as a language that would be accessible to them from an early age.
This study is designed to be flexible, using various approaches to meet the learning needs of families and schools serving DeafBlind children between the ages of 0 and 5 years old:
- Online lessons and support are available with pre-recorded videos and live video sessions.
Sessions with your child are designed with several options:
- Short in-person visits from the Protactile expert at your home.
- Classroom-based sessions between your child and the Protactile educator.
- Small group sessions led by the Protactile educator.
As with all research, participation is completely voluntary. Participating families will receive compensation for time spent video recording in the home and for completing research related forms.
While this study is not designed to provide therapeutic assistance, some families may benefit from the following:
- Access to resources about protactile language.
- Individualized sessions to learn protactile language with a protactile educator.
- Individualized sessions for their child with a protactile educator.
Primary Investigaor (PI)
She/Her
Deanna Gagne is a professor at Gallaudet University, with expertise in child development, specializing in how children acquire and create language.
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Protactile Experts & Consulting Team
She/ Her
Hayley Broadway is a Protactile expert and education specialist with experience in curriculum design, teaching, and working with families of DeafBlind children.
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Research Team
Jenna Gorlewicz is a professor at Saint Louis University, who specializes in designing touch-based communication technologies.
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PhD Student
She/Her
Marjorie Bates is a PhD candidate in Linguistics at Gallaudet University. As a hearing, second-language learner of ASL and Protactile, Marjorie is interested in the cognitive processes (e.g., attention, metaphorical mapping) that contribute to understanding across modalities, including visual (sign, gesture, written), tactile, and spoken/auditory.
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DeafBlind Protactile Educator Expert
She/Her
My journey encompasses being a DeafBlind mentor, raising two Deaf children and following the Protactile movement. I interact with many DeafBlind folks from all backgrounds and in different environments/platforms, such as at retreats, through direct training and on listservs. Fostering access to information through touch allows us to lead meaningful lives.
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PT Kids Study: From project launch to exciting milestones, empowering DeafBlind children through protactile language acquisition. Stay connected for updates!
Thank you for your interest in PTKids! We welcome your inquiries, collaboration opportunities, and feedback. Please reach out to us using the contact information provided, and our team will be delighted to connect with you.
800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
