Sign Language and Deaf Kids Rock!
“Where do I find ASL signed entertainment for my Deaf or hard-of-hearing child?” I love that you’re asking that question—thank you for it, truly!
You see, I’m part of the 90% of d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals born into hearing families. I had no exposure to Deaf community, culture, or sign language during my formative years. It’s a story I share with many others like me.
Parenting can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to decisions that impact your child’s communication and language development. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for supporting your child’s social growth, education, or literacy.
But one thing you can do is open the doors to both spoken and signed languages—bilingualism. Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto, a leading language researcher, said it best: “The more language exposure, the better. The brain doesn’t discriminate; it accepts both sound and sign.”
This Deaf Awareness Month, my message is for the parents raising the next generation of amazing deaf children: Give your child access to all the resources and opportunities. As they grow, they’ll learn to make their own decisions and develop the skills to advocate for themselves—skills they’ll carry throughout life. You don’t have to be fluent from the start, you can learn sign language together.
No matter what the future holds, sign language will always provide a strong connection with your child. In my own experience, my family never expected their once hard-of-hearing daughter to become deaf. They didn’t realize that assistive devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants are just tools—tools that can break, malfunction, or go missing. But a shared language creates reliable communication and a lasting bond.
Your journey can start with the push of a button. While I highly recommend signing up for ASL classes and getting involved with your local Deaf community, we all have to begin somewhere. I hope you and your child(ren) enjoy exploring these resources and learning through the power of entertainment. One final note: While I’ve provided age ranges for some of the listed media, please review them to decide if the content is the best fit for your child, as we all grow and develop in different ways across different ages.
Disney+ and Netflix (on your web browser)
SignUp Media uses PIP or Picture-in-Picture sign language interpreters to share the movie screen. This google chrome extension is FREE and presently there are over 60 titles from classic films such as The Little Mermaid, The Sound of Music, and Mary Poppins to my favorite 2000s movies including Frozen, Moana, CoCo, and The Incredibles.
New titles are added all the time and their library is expanding to offer titles in BSL and IS. Toy Story, Inside Out, Finding Nemo, and 101 Dalmatians are all available in British Sign Language (BSL), International Sign (IS) as well as American Sign Language (ASL).
Many of the on-screen interpreters are Deaf Interpreters. This helps ensure that spoken language and cultural nuances are translated to reach Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers from diverse backgrounds, making the content easier to enjoy and understand from native signers. Learn more about the role of Deaf Interpreters and how they team up with Hearing Interpreters to provide communication access.
For your teens or a parent movie night, check out the ASL version of Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man available directly on Disney+ under the ‘Extras’ tab. (Ant-Man is recommended for ages 12+.) You can also watch the ASL version of Barbie streaming on Max and Prime Video. (Barbie is recommended for ages 13+.)
TV Shows with Sign Language
Representation of Deaf characters and sign language in entertainment is crucial for Deaf children and their families. Seeing themselves on screen helps Deaf children feel seen and connected to the world around them. Providing relatable characters and role models inspires pride and confidence. Navigating the hearing world as a Deaf or hard of hearing individual will come with challenges, but it’s a resilient mindset that will help your child persevere.
These TV shows also help foster understanding among hearing audiences and provide a great way for your Deaf or hard of hearing child to bond with hearing siblings or cousins who may not fully grasp the experience of hearing loss or the importance of sign language. Using entertainment to expose hearing family members to Deaf culture and sign language opens up conversations and questions, helping you create a supportive home environment that will benefit your family for years to come.
Here are some TV shows across various streaming platforms featuring Deaf characters or signed content:
Title: PBS Kids
Age: 2-8
Description: A collection of fun, educational shows for young children, including episodes featuring Deaf characters and American Sign Language (ASL) integration.
Title: El Deafo
Age: 8-12
Description: An animated series based on the graphic novel about a young Deaf girl navigating school life, friendships, and her superpower – her hearing aid.
Title: Sesame Street | ASL Series
Age: 2-6
Description: A classic educational show that has featured Deaf characters and guest stars, introducing ASL and promoting inclusivity for young audiences.
Title: Echo
Age: 12+
Description: A Marvel series following a Deaf Native American superhero with extraordinary abilities, exploring her journey of self-discovery and identity.
Title: Dragon Prince
Age: 8+
Description: A fantasy adventure series with a rich story about magic and dragons, featuring a strong Deaf warrior character who communicates using ASL. (A personal favorite of mine!)
Title: Craig of the Creek
Age: 6-12
Description: A fun and imaginative show about a group of kids exploring their local creek, with episodes featuring a Deaf character and ASL to promote inclusivity.
Title: Silly Paws
Age: 3-7
Description: A light-hearted animated series featuring playful animals, with some episodes including signed content to help introduce ASL in a fun way.
Title: ASL Nook
Age: 2+
Description: ASL Nook is a family-friendly YouTube series that teaches American Sign Language (ASL) through fun, everyday scenarios with Deaf parents and their children.
Books with ASL Read Aloud Videos
I love books. Growing up, I preferred reading over watching movies or TV, especially since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did not establish the closed captioning rule until 2006, requiring that 100% of all new, non-exempt English-language video programming include closed captions. ‘New’ means programming that first aired after 1998, so many of the entertainment options from my childhood didn’t have captions.
Books, however, were accessible to me, and my love of reading has followed me throughout my life. Young minds have an incredible ability to process language and absorb words and signs like sponges. Books with ASL read-aloud videos provide a fun and engaging activity to promote bilingualism. Since English and ASL are distinct languages with their own unique grammar and syntax, try separating the two activities: flip through the pages together as you read to your child in English, then play the ASL read-aloud video on your TV. Practice your own receptive skills and encourage your child to sign along!
Check out these five resources to get started:
- Inclusive Communication Services: Children’s Books with Deaf Characters and ASL Videos
- American Society for Deaf Children: ASL Stories Directory
- DPAN TV: Kids Stories in ASL
- Atomic Hands: ASL STEM Storybooks
- Rocky Mountain Deaf School (RMDS): ASL Storytelling
Creating Inclusive Communication
At Inclusive Communication Services (ICS), we are dedicated to making media accessible through PIP sign language interpretation and captions, ensuring that Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals of all ages can enjoy and understand the content they love. Contact us to get started on making your media inclusive for all audiences.
Before you close out of this blog, I encourage you to check out ICS’s calendar of accessible events. It highlights events with ASL interpretation, live captioning, audio description, and Spanish interpretation—perfect for finding your next inclusive family outing! I am proud to be part of ICS, a team that cares about connecting community with accessibility.
And a sincere thank YOU for reading and researching how to best support your Deaf or hard-of-hearing child so that they may thrive. Deaf kids rock! Please leave a comment with any recommendations or favorites that your Deaf children enjoy!
