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About Us

Our Story

The National American Sign Language Education of Heritage Language Learners (NASLEHL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in November 2018 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Founded in 2018 in Little Rock, Arkansas, NASLEHL was created to ensure Deaf and Hard of Hearing children from birth through age 21 have full access to natural sign language from the very beginning.

For too long, ASL educators and programs worked in isolation, and American Sign Language was often treated as a foreign language rather than recognized as the first and most natural language for many Deaf children.

NASLEHL was formed to change that.

We center ASL and other natural sign languages as foundational to language development, academic success, and identity. By bringing together educators, families, researchers, and leaders, we strengthen policy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices that ensure equitable language access for every Deaf child.

ASL is not optional. It is essential.

Who it serves

  • Deaf children from birth through age 21 whose natural heritage language is ASL or another natural sign language.
  • Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs) who acquire sign language at home as part of their cultural and linguistic identity.
  • Educators, administrators, and professionals responsible for teaching, supporting, and assessing heritage signers in early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary settings.
  • Families and communities seeking culturally grounded, linguistically affirming resources for raising and educating heritage signers.
Mission

The National American Sign Language Education of Heritage Language Learners (NASLEHL) exists to provide a professional home for ASL and other natural sign language educators and administrators. The organization supports the development and sharing of best practices related to sign languages as content areas—spanning language development, curriculum, instruction, and assessment—for Deaf children and Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs) from birth through age 21 across home, school, and community settings.

This mission is grounded in Deaf‑centrism, multiculturalism, diversity, technology, and evidence‑based practice, and is carried out through four core strands:

(a) Sign Languages as Heritage Language Planning

(b) Sign Language Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment 

(c) Sign Language Specialized Services 

(d) Sign Language Professionalization

Vision

The vision of NASLEHL is to promote the integration and standardization of American Sign Language (ASL) and other natural sign languages as heritage languages within the birth–21 education system, fostering sign language literacy for Deaf children and Children of Deaf Adults as an integral component of their overall literacy.

Core Values
  • Sign Language Is a Human Right
    • Every Deaf and Hard of Hearing child deserves full access to natural sign language from birth. This right is central to identity, cognitive development, and equitable participation in society.
  • Representation of  Deaf Populations
    • Curriculum, instruction, and assessment must reflect the sundry of Deaf communities, including those with multiplicity in racial, cultural, linguistic, and intersectional identities.
  • Heritage Language Ideology as the Foundation of ASL Pedagogy
    • ASL and other natural sign languages are heritage languages rooted in community, culture, and intergenerational transmission. This ideology shapes how NASLEHL approaches teaching, learning, and assessment.

Putting Our Mission into Practice

Signature Programs


We design and lead national programs that elevate heritage sign language education and connect educators, families, and leaders around shared goals.

Language Policy Leadership


We advocate for policies that recognize ASL and other natural sign languages as foundational—not supplemental—to the education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children.

Strategic Partnerships


We collaborate with schools, universities, organizations, and community leaders to strengthen systems that support equitable language access.

Professional Learning Community (PLC)


We cultivate networks of educators who share expertise, research, and best practices to advance high-quality sign language instruction.

Resources


We create and share high-quality resources that support Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, CODA, educators, and communities in building strong language and academic foundations.

Standing Committee:

Communications & Marketing

  • Melly Serrano
  • Alethea Boyer

Development & Fundraising

  • Melly Serrano
  • Karla Gunn
  • Elaine Boland
  • Robert Saccente Jr.

Professional Learning Community

  • Delia Lozano
  • Debbie Sicoli

Language Policy

  • Delia Lozano
  • Karla Gunn
  • Cara Barnett
  • Rayburn Boland
  • Elaine Boland
  • Joy Maisel
  • Mary Ann Seremeth

Governance

  • Karla Gunn
  • Mandy Frederickson
  • Robert Saccente Jr.

Amy E. Hile Foundation

  • Tim Hile
  • Kerry Hile
  • Cara Barnett

2026 ASLRT Conference

  • Karla Gunn
  • Kelli Adasko
  • Debbie Trapani
  • Mindy Failing
  • Rayburn Boland
  • Melly Serrano

4.5

High quality service rating

10

Support locations across the U.S.

2 hours

Average response time for inquiries

150

Total resources available