Do you know a CODA? Supporting Children of Deaf Adults in Their Childhood and Early Childhood Education.
Enroth, Julia; Dence, Katarina (2025)
Enroth, Julia
Dence, Katarina
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202502213245
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202502213245
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this thesis was to explore what it means to be a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) and explore the Early Childhood Education (ECE) perspective to CODAs in Finland. The development task was to create a children’s book that portrays the everyday experiences of a CODA in a relatable and authentic way.
The theoretical framework of this thesis is grounded in literature exploring CODAs, Deaf culture, bilingualism, and Early Childhood Education. To gather relevant insights, we conducted two questionnaires — one for CODAs and another for ECE professionals — discovering CODAs experiences, challenges, and the support educators can provide. The book seeks to help CODA children feel seen and understood while offering educators and caregivers meaningful guidance on how to support them effectively.
The key findings indicate that CODAs often navigate complex cultural and linguistic identities, balancing between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Many CODAs experience a sense of responsibility as interpreters for their parents from a young age and may struggle with belonging fully to either the Deaf or hearing community. Our research also revealed that there is little to no representation of CODAs in Finnish children’s literature, reinforcing the need for more specific literature.
Based on these findings, our children's book was developed to address this gap, ensuring that CODAs can also see their experiences reflected in literature. Additionally, providing an opportunity for educators and non-CODA children to learn about diverse family dynamics. Our conclusion emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness of CODA experiences in ECE and the need for more inclusive educational resources. We recommend that future research and development projects continue to explore ways to integrate Deaf communities and CODAs representation into educational materials to foster greater inclusivity and understanding.
The theoretical framework of this thesis is grounded in literature exploring CODAs, Deaf culture, bilingualism, and Early Childhood Education. To gather relevant insights, we conducted two questionnaires — one for CODAs and another for ECE professionals — discovering CODAs experiences, challenges, and the support educators can provide. The book seeks to help CODA children feel seen and understood while offering educators and caregivers meaningful guidance on how to support them effectively.
The key findings indicate that CODAs often navigate complex cultural and linguistic identities, balancing between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Many CODAs experience a sense of responsibility as interpreters for their parents from a young age and may struggle with belonging fully to either the Deaf or hearing community. Our research also revealed that there is little to no representation of CODAs in Finnish children’s literature, reinforcing the need for more specific literature.
Based on these findings, our children's book was developed to address this gap, ensuring that CODAs can also see their experiences reflected in literature. Additionally, providing an opportunity for educators and non-CODA children to learn about diverse family dynamics. Our conclusion emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness of CODA experiences in ECE and the need for more inclusive educational resources. We recommend that future research and development projects continue to explore ways to integrate Deaf communities and CODAs representation into educational materials to foster greater inclusivity and understanding.