Welcome to the Visual Language Access & Acquisition (VLAA) Lab

The VLAA Lab focuses on the influence of early childhood language experiences on overall quality of life outcomes across the lifespan for deaf communities. For many deaf people, the language and communication approaches in their early childhood impacts their development in positive and negative ways. Historically, the choices made related to these language approaches have been mired in unproductive politics that stymie new thinking and approaches that may best support deaf children to become healthy deaf adults. The VLAA Lab seeks to contribute scientific evidence that advances productive dialogue in early intervention and education systems for deaf children.

The VLAA Lab also focuses on the social epidemics of language deprivation and communication neglect in deaf communities. These phenomenons are considered and explored within a multidiscplinary lens of cognition, neuro- and socioemotional development, mental health, education, quality of life, and overall public health.