RE: Sign language - question/SEE

[Guest guest]

Can you tell me how you learned SEE, is there book or something. My son

does very well with signs, the problem is his fine motor skills are weak

so

his signs are difficult to decipher. We thought of going on a gesturing

program, but maybe SEE will be better for us. Any more information you can give

would be really appreciated...thanks,

Heidi

[Guest guest]

We used SEE (Signing Exact English) as it requires less in terms of fine

motor skill and it is spoken just like verbal English (sentence structure).

When my son started speaking verbally, his sentence structure was already

intact. I attribute some of this to the fact that when he signed SEE, he was

learning sentence structure that he would use later on.

Tricia Morin

North Carolina

Marina wrote:

Hello All -

Interesting that this topic come up now as I'm investigating sign for

my youngest son with a severe language impairment (not apraxic). His

problem is both receptive and expressive, and I've learned that if he

doesn't say it, he doesn't understand it. Sounds simple, but when

your first is apraxic, you know in your heart that they understand

eons more than they say!

Anyway, my SLP agrees that this is a fine route, especially since he

has latched onto the signs I've taught him thus far - he speaks with

the signs, so they are almost cues. She believes that I should not

teach him American Sign Language. Anyone know anything about this

recommendation? She's investigating further, but I thought I'd ask

here. I'm by no means fluent, but I grew up with a friend who was

deaf and had been taught to speak - she taught me a fair amount, but

I've no idea if it's American or not.

Any suggestions of books? Don't really want videos - I'd like books

for me.

Thanks!

Marina

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/4/2004 4:19:41 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Heidila419@... writes:

Can you tell me how you learned SEE, is there book or something

Heidi,

I used Signing Exact English by:

Gerilee Gustason and Esther Zawolkow

It was the one his Preschool teach used. I bought it at Barns and Nobles for

between $20 and $30, I did not have to special order it, they had a copy in

stock. I found it very easy to use.

Good Luck!

A child is like a butterfly in the wind, some fly faster, some fly harder but

they all fly the best they can. Each one is different, each one is beautiful

and each one is special

Mom of three

4 with verbal apraxia, SDI, hypotonia, and DD

Samanthe 15 ADD

Zac 11 in the gifted program at school

Each a Beautiful Butterfly in their own way!

[Guest guest]

We taught ourselves using a book.

Here is a link to the book that we used to learn SEE. If you can't get the

link to work, just go to amazon.com and type in " signing exact english " the

book that I used is co-authored by gutason, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0916708268/qid=1086380801/sr=8

-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-1783917-1437642?v=glance & s=books & n=507846

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0916708268/qid=1086380801/sr=

8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-1783917-1437642?v=glance & s=books & n=507846>

I want to be clear that many of my son's signs were approximations b/c of

his challenges.

Tricia Morin

North Carolina

Heidi Wrote:

Can you tell me how you learned SEE, is there book or something. My son

does very well with signs, the problem is his fine motor skills are

weak so

his signs are difficult to decipher. We thought of going on a gesturing

program, but maybe SEE will be better for us. Any more information you can

give

would be really appreciated...thanks,

Heidi

[Guest guest]

I haven't followed this thread as well as I should have, but I wanted to

comment on the choice of SEE vs ASL. If you believe your child will

eventually speak (and therefore signing is an interim language until he is

verbal) I think it's okay to choose signs from either language, and even

make up signs for things you can't find signs for. My son uses a mixture of

these and does great. His school aide, our family, and a few other people

know his signs and that is a completely adequate communication group for him

at this time. If your son has motor difficulty, I think it's especially

important to choose the signs based upon what he can do rather than being

correct in the use of any language. (You will be amazed how signing

improves his motor coordination and he will be able to pick up more complex

signs as time goes on) I believe that the preference for SEE is because the

format of sentences is more like speech, rather than the actual signs being

preferable. Unless you think your child will be signing entire sentences

right away, I think it doesn't matter.

I use two books (one SEE and the other ASL) and choose which signs we will

use. Our books are: Random House Webster's American Sign Language

Dictionary and Signing English: a Basic Guide by Bornstein and Saulnier.

But if I were you, I would just go into a good book store and look at all

the books on signing. Think of the common words you would want to teach

your child and see if they are listed in the book. (It's amazing what is not

there. We recently made up a sign for 'waffles' because neither of my books

had it.)

Also, I think you are on the right track choosing to sign rather than use a

picture exchange program. I really believe that signing is slowly but surely

training my son's brain to motor-plan. I think he will eventually be verbal

because of the motor-planning practice he is getting from signing hundreds

of times a day.

Best,