{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T01:39:50Z","timestamp":1792287590504,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,20]],"date-time":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1589932800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Questions about communication mode (a.k.a. \u201ccommunication options\u201d or \u201ccommunication opportunities\u201d) remain among the most controversial issues in the many fields that are concerned with the development and well-being of children (and adults) who are d\/Deaf or hard of hearing. In this manuscript, we argue that a large part of the reason that this debate persists is due to limitations of the construct itself. We focus on what we term \u201cthe crucial question\u201d: namely, what kind of experience with linguistic input during infancy and toddlerhood is most likely to result in mastery of at least one language (spoken or signed) by school entry. We argue that the construct of communication mode\u2014as currently construed\u2014actively prevents the discovery of compelling answers to that question. To substantiate our argument, we present a review of a relevant subset of the recent empirical literature and document the prevalence of our concerns. We conclude by articulating the desiderata of an alternative construct that, if appropriately measured, would have the potential to yield answers to what we identify as \u201cthe crucial question.\u201d<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/deafed\/enaa009","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,25]],"date-time":"2020-02-25T04:47:35Z","timestamp":1582606055000},"page":"383-397","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["The Limits of \u201cCommunication Mode\u201d as a Construct"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Matthew L","family":"Hall","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Temple 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