Deaf studies in learning and cognition: A coming-of-age story

The intersection of cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience with regard to deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals recently has received increasing attention from academic and educational audiences. Research and pedagogy associated with this nexus have focused largely on questions about whether DHH children learn in the same ways as hearing children, how signed languages and spoken languages might affect different aspects of cognition and cognitive development, and ways in which hearing loss influences the way that the brain processes and retains information. Frequently overlooked are interactions among various developmental and cognitive factors, as well as ways in which they are influenced by various individual, family, and environmental factors. This chapter addresses several areas of research on cognition and learning among DHH individuals, identifying gaps in our knowledge, illuminating some faulty assumptions, and pointing out broader implications of similarities and differences in DHH and hearing individuals of theoretical and practical interest