Lost for Words: The Hidden Cost of Oversimplifying Language for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Kids
Language is the foundation for learning, connection, and independence, and Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) children deserve full access to it. Not a simplified, watered-down, toddler-friendly version of it forever. Not just “basic signs” or overly simple spoken words. We’re talking the full buffet.
So let’s talk about language deprivation, what it is, how it happens, why it’s a problem, and how you (yes, you!) can make a huge difference right now.
What Is Language Deprivation?
Language deprivation occurs when a child does not have consistent, complete, and reliable access to language during their critical language-learning years (basically, birth to age 5).
For D/HH children, that could look like:
Inconsistent access to sound (even with hearing technology like cochlear implants, hearing aids, or BAHAs, because guess what, they’re not magical brain translators)
Little to no access to a fluent, accessible visual language like American Sign Language (ASL)
Being exposed only to partial or poor-quality language input
Or a combo of the above, which unfortunately, happens a lot
In fact, studies have shown that Deaf children born to hearing parents (which is about 90% of D/HH kids, by the way) are significantly more likely to experience language deprivation than those born to Deaf parents who sign with them from birth.
And the effects?
Not just late talking.
We’re talking lifelong impacts on:
Literacy
Academic achievement
Social-emotional development
Self-advocacy skills
Identity formation
Even mental health
No pressure, right?
The good news: It’s preventable. But it requires a shift in how we approach language exposure for D/HH kids…and it starts at home.
The Vocabulary Gap Is Real (And We’re Accidentally Widening It)
Research shows that many D/HH kids have smaller vocabularies than both:
Their hearing peers
AND Deaf peers with Deaf signing parents
And it's not just the number of words, it's also the type of words:
Fewer descriptive terms
Less emotional nuance
More vague, generic, and oversimplified language
We’re talking:
“That animal” instead of “giraffe”
“He’s mad” instead of “He’s irritated because you took his LEGO Minifigure again”
“Hot” instead of “steamy,” “boiling,” “blazing,” or “scorching”
This isn’t just about sounding smart at the dinner table. Language is how we think. How we process emotions. How we solve problems. How we connect with others.
When a child’s vocabulary is limited, their access to all of that is limited too.
Linguistic Overprotection
Let’s talk about this sneaky little villain: Linguistic overprotection.
This is what happens when parents, educators, or caregivers intentionally keep language simple, thinking it’s more “accessible” for the child.
And to be fair? The intention is usually good. Parents are often told to use:
1-2 word phrases
Only simple, common nouns and verbs
Short, basic sentences
But here’s the kicker: These strategies are designed for children with global developmental delays, not for children who are language-delayed because they haven’t had full access to language. So when we apply those strategies to D/HH kids who are otherwise neurotypical, we’re not helping… we’re withholding.
And remember: the children for whom these simplified language strategies are typically designed (those with developmental delays) often still have access to more language overall, primarily through incidental learning, hearing the conversations, instructions, and interactions happening all around them, even if those things aren’t directly taught. While the language may not be explicitly broken down, they’re still being immersed in it. Deaf and hard-of-hearing children, on the other hand, miss out on much of this incidental learning, which means they need more intentional and explicit language teaching to build the same understanding.
We’ll dive deeper into incidental learning and its impact in the next post.
Linguistic Overprotection Looks Like:
Calling it a “dog” instead of a German Shepherd, poodle, or dachshund
Labeling every big emotion “mad” instead of “jealous,” “disappointed,” or “nervous”
Saying “hot” instead of “humid,” “sweltering,” or “sizzling”
Reading a book and skipping over the juicy adjectives (“That’s a tall building” vs. “That’s a towering, metal skyscraper with gleaming windows”)
It’s like feeding your child a plain cracker every day and wondering why they’re not full. We need to give them a linguistic buffet, not just white rice and water.
Quick Detour!
Let’s take a quick, important detour before we get into the true meat here…
I was speaking with a friend of mine recently about language deprivation and linguistic overprotection. She’s hard-of-hearing herself and works as a Deaf educator in a middle school program. She shared something that stopped me in my tracks: her school district had justified hiring interpreters with lower-level skills by saying,
“Well, the Deaf kids don’t have strong language skills anyway, and the interpreters are probably signing at their level.”
*GASP*
The problem with this? Try everything.
First and foremost, every student, regardless of their current language level, deserves full, equal access to the information being presented around them.
If a professor says, “Biology is not merely the study of life’s mechanisms, but the pursuit of understanding how complexity emerges from simplicity — how a single cell gives rise to consciousness, structure, and symphony,”
and the interpreter delivers, “Biology is about life. A small thing can grow. It can become big. It can think and move,”
…that is not equal access.
That is linguistic deprivation in real time. If we give our kids low-quality language input, how can we expect their skills to grow? They won’t. And then we turn around and use that lack of growth to justify continuing to give them less. It’s a vicious, self-fulfilling cycle, often driven by convenience or budget cuts. But let’s be clear: cutting corners on language access is not just bad policy, it’s educational neglect. Our D/HH kids deserve better. They deserve access to rich, complex, challenging language, not just what we think they can handle.
We have to do better.
Period.
How to Fix It? Start With a Sandwich. 🥪
Okay, not that kind of sandwich. (Though we support snacks during language learning.)
We’re talking about Vocabulary Sandwiching, a simple, powerful strategy to introduce new words while still grounding them in familiar language.
🥪 What Is Vocabulary Sandwiching?
It’s the practice of putting a new word (the “meat”) between familiar words (the “bread”).
Example 1: Emotional Vocabulary
Child knows: “mad”
Target word: “frustrated”
“You’re feeling mad. You’re frustrated — so, so mad.”
Example 2: Descriptive Vocabulary
Child knows: “big”
Target word: “enormous”
“That building is so big. It’s enormous! Really, really big!”
Example 3: Nature Vocabulary
Child knows: “bug”
Target word: “caterpillar”
“Oh look, a bug! That’s a caterpillar — a wiggly little bug.”
The child hears the new word in context, surrounded by what they already know. This gives the brain a chance to connect the dots, store the new info, and eventually use it independently.
Bonus Toppings: Make That Sandwich Sizzle
Pair vocabulary sandwiching with:
Body language and gestures
Exaggerated facial expressions
Visual cues (pointing, showing, acting it out)
Books, routines, and hands-on experiences
The more senses you can engage, the better. Vocabulary is stickiest when it’s tied to real-life moments and emotions.
Final Thoughts: Feed Their Minds, Don’t Starve Them
Language deprivation is not about a lack of love, effort, or intelligence… it’s about a lack of access.
You don’t need to be a perfect signer. You don’t need to have perfect speech. You just need to be intentional, specific, and consistent with the language you model.
Let your child see, hear, and experience all the richness that language has to offer:
Specificity
Emotion
Humor
Wonder
Detail
Joy
Because yes, even your toddler can learn the word “enormous.” Or “overwhelmed.” Or “grasshopper.”
All it takes is a little sandwich.
Coming Up Next…
In our next post, we’ll dive into the magic of incidental learning, how most kids pick up language just by existing, and how we can replicate that same magic for D/HH kids.
Spoiler: It’s easier than you think, and way more fun than worksheets.
📚 Want the Receipts? Here’s the Research
Hall, W. C., Levin, L. L., & Anderson, M. L. (2017). Language deprivation syndrome: A possible neurodevelopmental disorder with sociocultural origins. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
Humphries, T., et al. (2012). Language acquisition for deaf children: Reducing the harms of zero tolerance to the use of alternative approaches. Harm Reduction Journal, 9(1), 16.
Mayberry, R. I., & Squires, B. (2006). Sign language acquisition. In E. Lieven (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Language Acquisition.
Lederberg, A. R., Schick, B., & Spencer, P. E. (2013). Language and literacy development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children: Successes and challenges. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 15–30.
And remember: No more tired words. Bring on the sandwiches.