The Cognitive Turn: Replacing Hearing Pathology with a Deaf-centric View

Abstract

Early research about deaf learners created a deficit view which took decades to begin to change. Through a historical outline of the view of deaf cognition, this article traces the historical impact of this view set by hearing researchers and further challenges the narrative with a Deaf-centric perspective. An analyzation of dated text and a comparison of more recent studies leads to a position which suggests a cultural and systematic change in how deaf learners are viewed and assessed. These changes include the involvement of other Deaf researchers and individuals. Important in both Deaf studies and educating deaf learners, the suggested Deaf-centric view provides educators and other professionals with the challenge of changing what is known about deaf individuals.