Learning Sign Language

[Guest guest]

As several of you have talked about learning sign language, I thought I

might add my 2 cents worth. I am a sign language interpreter, and have

worked with deaf persons from very young ages to senior citizens, including

working with Kayla (15 y.o.) who Bob now teaches. I want to share my

perspective on parents needing to learn to sign ASAP after they discover

their child has any kind of hearing loss.

Any child with any hearing loss is going to miss out on the prime years

that most other children learn language. In the deaf community, we talk

about pre-lingually and post-lingually deaf, meaning those who became deaf

(or were born deaf) before they learned to talk, and those who became deaf

after learning to talk. Of those who are pre-lingually deaf, if there is a

delay in getting some other kind of language going (such as sign language

and/or hearing aids, a picture system or some other communication system),

the child has a much harder time in learning ANY language. Since many of

the CHARGErs are delayed in so many areas, why take a chance on allowing

them to miss out on the most important part of being human--communicating

with others.

I know it is difficult to learn sign language when we are adults. I was an

adult before I began learning anything except the fingerspelled alphabet.

However, these children are worth our efforts. Think of all the wonderful

times you can have if you establish good communication with them and the

horrible times if you aren't able to even try to explain some of the

terrible medical procedures they have to experience.

I don't want to make anyone feel guilty. That is not my purpose. I just

want to encourage each of you to think very long and hard about

establishing an effective communication system. To emphasize how important

this is, I want to tell you about two deaf children I saw this summer from

two different families. In each case, I was called to interpret for the

deaf child in a serious situation. Because it was during the summertime,

neither child had been in school where their peers and teachers used sign

language all day. In both families, there was very rudimentary

communication with the children. Each of these two children was so excited

to have someone that they could actually communicate with that they " talked

my ear off " (of course, they really challenged my skills to understand

their sign language!)

I don't ever want any of you to experience seeing your child be able to

bond with some stranger ONLY because that stranger knows your child's

language which they learned in school, but not at home, and no one at home

can use the child's language fluently.

I have three children, and although I sometimes wish I could get away and

get a little peace and quiet, I know how important it really is to me to be

able to talk with them about their days, their problems, and their joys.

Sorry for the long diatribe, but this is a subject near and dear to my heart.

Lucy

wife to Bob who teaches Kayla (15 y.o. CHARGEr)