ABOUT THIS EPISODE (+ scroll for resources) 👇

In this episode, Dr. Tay hosts Marissa Ramos, a bilingual English/ASL speech therapist, to discuss the benefits of incorporating sign language into communication strategies for autistic and hard of hearing children. They dive into the overlapping needs of these children, the surprisingly low percentage of speech therapists who are fluent in ASL, and share insights on the importance of early language exposure. Marissa also discusses her personal journey with ASL and her advocacy for its broader use in therapy. The conversation highlights the significance of multimodal communication and introduces listeners to resources for learning and integrating ASL into everyday practice.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview

03:28 Marissa's Background and Journey into ASL

05:36 Understanding Deaf Culture and Terminology

09:26 The Power of ASL in Early Childhood

13:13 Neurodiversity Affirming Approaches to ASL

17:06 Sign Language as a Form of Communication

20:20 Spoken Language vs AAC: Efficiency and Accessibility

21:25 Understanding the Difference: ASL vs AAC

22:34 The Benefits of Teaching Sign Language

25:11 Statistics on Hearing Loss in Autistic Children

28:15 The Importance of Multimodal Communication

33:12 Language Deprivation Syndrome

37:19 Resources for Learning ASL

39:10 Conclusion and Next Steps

RESOURCES

⚡️ connect with Marissa on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook

⚡️ check out her resources, including the free 100 word checklist here

⚡️ want to learn more about Dr. Tay's Whole Family Approach and current services offered? visit drtaylorday.com

⚡️ join the Evolve Facebook community to participate in the episode Q+As >> facebook.com/groups/evolveautism

⚡️ learn from me and submit your questions [could be featured on a future episode] >>

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