Biography

The primary goal of Matt Hall’s research program is to maximize the developmental potential of all d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. To that end, he applies knowledge from cognitive/developmental psychology and linguistics to questions that concern DHH children, their families, the professionals who serve them, and other stakeholders. Given the very strong and often contradictory claims that are prevalent in both research and practice, he is committed to increasing the quality of the empirical evidence so that clinicians and families can make better-informed decisions toward the shared goal of promoting the long-term and holistic well-being of DHH children. He also maintains a secondary line of research that explores the interplay of cognitive and communicative pressures in shaping the structures that new human languages take as they begin to emerge. This research uses experimental semiotics to evaluate theories generated on the basis of observational fieldwork on homesign systems and young/emerging sign languages.

Education

  • PhD, Cognitive Psychology, University of California, San Diego
  • MA, Cognitive Psychology, University of California, San Diego
  • BA, Brain & Cognitive Sciences and American Sign Language, University of Rochester

Curriculum Vitae 

Courses Taught

Number

Name

Level

CSCD 0816

The World of Sign Languages

Undergraduate

CSCD 5546

Research Methods in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Graduate

Selected Publications

  • Hall, M.L. & Anda, S.D.e. (2022). Estimating Early Language Input in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children With the Language Access Profile Tool. Am J Speech Lang Pathol, 31(5), pp. 2132-2144. United States. doi: 10.1044/2022_AJSLP-21-00222

  • Hall, M.L. & Reidies, J.A. (2021). Measuring Receptive ASL Skills in Novice Signers and Nonsigners. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ, 26(4), pp. 501-510. United States. doi: 10.1093/deafed/enab024

  • Hall, M.L. & Anda, S.D.e. (2021). Measuring "Language Access Profiles" in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children With the DHH Language Exposure Assessment Tool. J Speech Lang Hear Res, 64(1), pp. 134-158. United States. doi: 10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00439

  • Dills, S. & Hall, M.L. (2021). More limitations of “communication mode” as a construct. Deafness and Education International, 23(4), pp. 253-275. doi: 10.1080/14643154.2021.1966160

  • Hall, M.L. & Dills, S. (2020). The Limits of "Communication Mode" as a Construct. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ, 25(4), pp. 383-397. United States. doi: 10.1093/deafed/enaa009

  • Hall, M.L. (2020). The Input Matters: Assessing Cumulative Language Access in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals and Populations. Front Psychol, 11, p. 1407. Switzerland. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01407

  • Richie, R., Hall, M.L., Cho, P.W., & Coppola, M. (2020). Converging evidence. Language Dynamics and Change, 10(2), pp. 259-290. doi: 10.1163/22105832-bja10008

  • Hall, M.L., Hall, W.C., & Caselli, N.K. (2019). Deaf children need language, not (just) speech. First Language, 39(4), pp. 367-395. doi: 10.1177/0142723719834102