ASLTA is the only national-level professional organization for American Sign Language and Deaf Studies educators.

Welcome! We are a national association dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching of ASL and Deaf Studies at all levels of instruction. ASLTA is an individual membership organization of more than 1,000 ASL and Deaf Studies educators, from elementary school through graduate education, and all ASL instructors are welcome to join.

ASLTA supports the growth of the profession of ASL and Deaf Studies education through the exchange of ideas among instructors on best teaching and learning practices at local, state, and national levels. ASLTA advocates for the improved recognition of ASL as a viable language option for Deaf individuals learning ASL as a heritage language and as a world language for non-Deaf students. As the third-most studied language in the United States, ASL has grown in popularity in no small part due to ASLTA’s pioneering advocacy efforts over the past 40+ years.

ASLTA strives to achieve its mission by:

• Ensuring that ASL instructors meet the highest level of professional competence in knowledge and skill
• Supporting the only national-level certification for ASL educators
• Improving the professional status of ASL and Deaf Studies educators
• Promoting the teaching of ASL at all levels of education
• Advocating for the needs of ASL teachers and students
• Sponsoring scholarships and grants for ASL educators and students
• Providing the only national professional development conference dedicated to ASL educators

Is ASLTA for you?

Do you teach ASL at a public or private high school? Do you teach ASL at a community college, college, or university? Do you teach ASL in small-group settings at a library, adult education center, or a place of worship? Do you teach ASL at a school for the Deaf? Do you conduct research on ASL linguistics? Do you teach ASL to elementary school students? Do you teach Deaf culture classes? Do you teach Deaf Studies? Do you teach future ASL instructors? Do you consider yourself a professional? Do you value ASL as a language? Do you support ASLTA’s work? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then ASLTA is for you. Join today!