In the Deaf Experience Deaf Expression project, we collect interviews about the experiences of d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people of all ages, their families and other professionals. When people learn they have hearing loss, they often make a choice between learning American Sign Language (ASL) or using hearing assistive devices. The benefits and reasons for each choice differ for deaf children versus older adults with hearing loss. These reasons can be categorized into societal factors, developmental progress, and psychological impacts. This research highlights these differences in order to help people better understand and navigate this decision. From a social perspective, deaf children who learn ASL gain access to Deaf culture and community. This helps provide the child with identity, communication, and sense of belonging. In contrast, older adults experiencing hearing loss already have an identity and communication with the hearing community. In their experience, they choose hearing devices to remain connected with already existing social circles. These differences can also be seen in a developmental perspective when looking at language acquisition. Language exposure, whether it’s signed for a Deaf child or spoken for a hearing child, is critical in early development as it builds foundations in communication. Unlike children, older adults have already exited their “critical period” of language acquisition which make learning a new language more challenging. Lived experience and age also impacts psychological well-being. ASL can greatly benefit Deaf children: as mentioned before, it gives culture, community, and identity. However, when denied ASL, Deaf children who cannot hear the speech around them experience language deprivation, which causes long-term learning and socio-emotional challenges. Sense of belonging is a massive factor for psychological success, and access to a community through ASL greatly increases support. Older adults may feel isolated due to hearing loss, but hearing devices help overcome that barrier. Overall, this research emphasizes that ASL and hearing devices are both important communication tools. Both options are influenced by social integration, language development, and psychological well-being. Understanding these differences can help inform recommendations for both populations.