Late Acquisition of Sign Language

This book addresses the late acquisition of sign language and its consequences for the cognitive development of deaf people and their social integration. From early childhood, deaf people are, in some way, integrated into the symbolic world of language, consisting of the language spoken by their mother, gestures, and household signs, which enables the beginning of cognitive development. However, late language acquisition restricts not only the child's communication possibilities in some social circles, but also their opportunities to learn content (including school content) conveyed by formal language (spoken or signed), which is fundamental for cognitive development. The conclusions of the research presented in this book point to the essential need for public policies that enable deaf people to come into contact with and acquire a language as early as possible so that they can, in fact, be included in society as individuals who are intellectually capable of learning and practicing any profession.