In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jennifer Reesman about neuropsychological evaluations of children from the D/deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community. We discuss DHH culture, language deprivation syndrome, medical etiologies of hearing loss, sign language and cued speech, cochlear implants, and various considerations for neuropsychological evaluations in children from the DHH community.
A pdf of the transcript for this episode is available here.
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About Jennifer
Dr. Reesman is board certified in clinical neuropsychology with subspecialty certification in pediatric neuropsychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She specializes in providing accessible neuropsychological assessments to children who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or affected by some type of hearing loss and provides evaluations and consultations in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. After a decade in practice as a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute, she is presently the training director for neuropsychology at the Chesapeake Center for ADHD, Learning & Behavioral Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Click here to watch her introduce herself in ASL.
Selected Resources
National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Terminology
APA Division 22 Special Interest Group on Deafness
The Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses
References
Atkinson, J., Denmark, T., Marshall, J., Mummery, C., & Woll, B. (2015). Detecting cognitive impairment and dementia in deaf people: the British Sign Language cognitive screening test. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 30(7), 694-711.
Conway, C. M., Karpicke, J., Anaya, E. M., Henning, S. C., Kronenberger, W. G., & Pisoni, D. B. (2011). Nonverbal cognition in deaf children following cochlear implantation: Motor sequencing disturbances mediate language delays. Developmental neuropsychology, 36(2), 237-254.
Grenon, G., & Whitaker, R. (2022). Assessing and Intervening with Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Best Practices in School Neuropsychology: Guidelines for Effective Practice, Assessment, and Evidence‐Based Intervention, 285-300.
Hauser, P. C., Quinto‐Pozos, D., & Singleton, J. L. (2015). Studying sign language disorders: Considering neuropsychological data. Research methods in sign language studies: A practical guide, 336-351.
Henner, J., Novogrodsky, R., Reis, J., & Hoffmeister, R. (2018). Recent issues in the use of signed language assessments for diagnosis of language disorders in signing deaf and hard of hearing children. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 23(4), 307-316.
Marschark, M., & Spencer, P. E. (2010). The Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language, and education, vol. 2. Oxford University Press.
Morere, D. A. (2013). Methodological issues associated with sign-based neuropsychological assessment. Sign Language Studies, 14(1), 8-20.
Plotkin, R. M., Brice, P. J., & Reesman, J. H. (2014). It is not just stress: Parent personality in raising a deaf child. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 19(3), 347-357.
Quinto-Pozos, D., Singleton, J. L., & Hauser, P. C. (2017). A case of specific language impairment in a deaf signer of American Sign Language. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 22(2), 204-218.
Reesman, J. H., Day, L. A., Szymanski, C. A., Hughes-Wheatland, R., Witkin, G. A., Kalback, S. R., & Brice, P. J. (2014). Review of intellectual assessment measures for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Rehabilitation Psychology, 59(1), 99.
