Re: Digest Number 3045

[Guest guest]

Sara-

My name is Kacy, I'm in Seattle. I'm replying both to you directly and

to the list, in case one or the other is easier for you to slog through.

We sign with our kids (5 and 3, one deaf, one not) and I'd be happy to

help you with sign. Really! I do it all the time for people, and I'm

even a co-host of a board that is about signing with kids. Come visit

if you want, the address is

http://talk.sheknows.com/forumdisplay.php?f=384

Please ask away, either to the list or to me directly, and I'll help in

any way I can.

There are 2 main kinds of sign, ASL and SEE (American Sign Language and

Signed Exact English), we use SEE but I learned both.

In ASL, there is a specific word order; in SEE you use the same words

and order as you do in regular English. Both will get your meaning

across, but if you already use English (or Spanish, or Japanese, etc.)

you use the signs for the words you are already using, in the order you

already use them ( " I'm going to the store. " ) In ASL, you use a

different word order, and don't use all of the English words, because

ASL is a different language ( " Go me store. " )

So yes, you just combine the signs with the words you are using, which

helps when kids start speechreading, using their CIs/HAs, and reading

printed words. For pacifier you would sign " pacify " and the affix " er " ,

but since we called them plugs, we just used the sign for plug. You can

see where this is going!

Do you know about the SEE Center? The people there are fantastic, and

they have workshops all over the country.

(( http://seecenter.org/ ))

Some people feel that if you teach a kid to sign, that kid might not

want to voice. In my experiences, however, I have found that kids will

do whatever is most efficient for them, and they can start with one way

and go to another way to suit their needs. My guys, both fluent signers

at a very young age (each signed over 1000 words at 24 months), now

prefer to voice and keep the signing for when they are in water, noisy

situations, or telling secrets to each other!. We never stressed how

they had language and communication, as long as they had it.

Again, feel free to contact me any time! That goes for anyone, by the

way = )

cheers,

Kacy

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Message 7

From: " saraandchadd " saraandchadd@...

Date: Sat May 27, 2006 5:51pm(PDT)

Subject: signing question

Ok - so I know usually these kind of questions arent' asked because we

all follow different things - but I hope it is Ok.

I'm trying to start signing with Jake now (still waiting for him to

start talking). If I want to say a sentence do I just combine signs?

For ex. " Get down now " - do I just combine " get " " down " and " now " or

is there an easier way. I'm trying to do some form of SEE or SE.

This is so confusing. What about pacifier? Do I do " pacify " with

and " -ed " ending.

HELP!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/28/2006 8:36:04 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

kacy206@... writes:

Some people feel that if you teach a kid to sign, that kid might not

want to voice. In my experiences, however, I have found that kids will

do whatever is most efficient for them, and they can start with one way

and go to another way to suit their needs. My guys, both fluent signers

at a very young age (each signed over 1000 words at 24 months), now

prefer to voice and keep the signing for when they are in water, noisy

situations, or telling secrets to each other!. We never stressed how

they had language and communication, as long as they had it.

Kacy,

I just had to reply and say I agree with the idea of versatility. Bravo for

your flexibility! Whatever works to get language into a kid is great by me as

well. We'd have followed whatever road worked for Ian.

When we learned of Ian's real hearing loss, I tried to start signing with

him, tried to make it a game. We'd been told that his loss was progressive but

we had no clue how quickly it was going or how much he'd lose. (We still

don't except it's usually progressed at a slow and steady pace).

But Ian hated signing back then. He was 8 going on 9 and coming to terms

with a big issue: his own impending deafness. At first he was relieved to learn

he actually had a hearing loss and that was why he couldn't follow the class.

He'd thought he was just plain stupid. He was thrilled that his aids helped

him hear again and he wore them every waking moment (still does).

The next stage quickly followed and that was to be both sad and angry at the

same time. Signing was a reminder of what he was dealing with, of what he

was losing and he vehemently refused to even look at me when I signed. I

thought it was a sad mistake but followed his lead. After a while I snuck in

individual signs at the pool, in church, in museums ... and as he became more

comfortable with his own reality, he became more open to it. Signing became the

game I'd tried to make it in the beginning. And we signed terribly, the worst

pidgen sign this side of the Mississippi, but we could talk anywhere and get

our points across. It worked for us.

Ian may never sign as his primary mode of communication (at this point I

doubt I'll ever become even close to fluent, LOL). Ian is about as oral as a

child can get. But we want to give him as many tools as possible. I don't care

how we communicates, as long as I can always " talk " with my son. For our way

of thinking, the more options that are available for him, the better.

Best -- Jill