American School for the Deaf

The American School for the Deaf, established in 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut, was the first permanent school for deaf children in the United States. Founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, it initially used a modified form of French Sign Language as its mode of instruction. By 1835, American Sign Language (ASL) became the dominant language of instruction, as it was the natural language of the deaf community. ASL is a visual-gestural language used primarily in the United States and Canada, with a structure distinct from spoken English. West Hartford, Connecticut, is recognized as the birthplace of ASL.12345