A group of deaf children was discovered after a terrible earthquake had nearly destroyed the town. The children had been hiding together for nearly a month.When an interpreter was brought in, she could not make sense of the signs she saw, yet the children were clearly communicating with one another. What is the most likely explanation?
A)The children were engaged in cryptophasia.
B)The children were just pretending to use sign language.
C)The interpreter was not fluent in signed English.
D)The children had developed a form of homesign.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is likely that the children had developed a form of homesign, which is a system of communication developed by deaf individuals who have not had access to formal sign language. This would explain why the interpreter was unable to understand the signs the children were using. Cryptophasia refers to a private language developed by twins or close siblings, which is not the most likely explanation in this situation. Pretending to use sign language would not explain the children's ability to communicate with each other for nearly a month. It is possible that the interpreter was not fluent in signed English, but this would not fully explain the children's ability to communicate with each other.

A Group of Deaf Children Was Discovered After a Terrible