When a family discovered that their five-month-old newborn was profoundly deaf, they began learning American Sign Language. They practiced with young Kendall before she could respond, allowing her to grow accustomed to “watching” them talk. Eventually, the entire family got together to learn sign language.
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American Sign Language (ASL) is finally receiving recognition as a second language in many school programs. Sign language has been instrumental in helping family units with deaf members. It combines signs for each letter and signs for words that allow communication. Although it might sometimes look like a game of Charades, each movement expresses a word or phrase.
The family is busy learning sign language, so everyone can talk with Kendall as she grows. The tagline under the video says it all; “Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” This family is not forgetting their youngest addition!
Mom includes Kendall in daily activities. They “listen” to music together, with Mom signing the lyrics. Most deaf people can feel the vibrations of music so that it can be enjoyable for them. The more Kendall sees signs, the more she picks them up. One day, she will surprise her family when she attempts to communicate with them. Like any child’s first word, the event will be celebrated.
If you have a deaf family member, friend, or co-worker and want to learn ASL, there are many courses available. Community adult education programs often include ASL, and colleges offer courses. If you learn well online, YouTube has a variety of free ASL videos. Learning ASL doesn’t happen overnight, but course structures move quickly through to conversational levels.
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