The "ASL Route" - What Is It?

The ASL-English bilingual route means acquiring ASL naturally from birth, and then learning how to read, write, and speak English when the Deaf child is physically and cognitively ready to develop those skills (usually by 3 years old). Having a strong language foundation in L1 during 0-3 years old will enable the child to learn second language effortlessly. I've never seen any bilingual Deaf person devalue the importance of learning how to read and write English. In our bilingual schools, we teach children in BOTH languages and expect all Deaf students to have an excellent command of grammar in both languages. I am not comfortable with "hoping" the Deaf child will acquire speaking and listening skills in order to gain access to language. We want every child to succeed, regardless of their speaking and listening abilities. The ASL-English bilingual education guarantees that.