EYE CONTACT: One of the most annoying and difficult hindrances to visual communication is the habit that hearing people have developed when conversing verbally: wandering eyes. It is unnecessary for hearing people to maintain continual eye gaze, as they are able to use their ears to continue the conversation uninterrupted, while glancing toward unexpected or curious noises in the environment. Our eyes can attend to children needing correction or attention, objects falling on the floor, and pouring our drinks, while the conversation continues, uninterrupted. For a non-hearing person, these distractions are not only annoying and distracting, but ... << MORE >>

Sign Language gives Deaf children the ability to learn with their eyes the same way hearing children learn with their ears. Hearing children begin learning at birth and processing the sounds to which they are exposed. Around age two they are beginning to give back those sounds in meaningful, simplified dialog, such as: “mommy,” “go bye-bye,” and “want cookie.” By three years old they are speaking in complete sentences. Around four or five, they converse fluently and begin the task of learning to read and write their language. If Deaf children have that same opportunity at birth or as soon after as possible, it increases their chances of developing conversational language, the first step to written communication. A non-hearing child cannot just “pick it up” and internalize English as hearing children can and do. Sign Language is a visual language, making the world fully accessible to children whose primary method of learning is visual, not auditory. It allows a child to grasp even abstract concepts. Armed with this cognitive base, they are better prepared for the task of learning to read and write a phonetic written language.

*Research shows that Deaf children exposed to a first language by 6 months of age can and do develop written language skills as early and as well as their hearing peers. The secret is lots and lots of language exposure. Early Intervention programs are essential, but a school program alone can never provide enough language exposure to non-hearing children. The child must have meaningful language exposure his whole day, every day to develop as rapidly as his hearing peers. What is the important key? FAMILY INVOLVEMENT. So let’s get involved!

        

Research showsthat early intervention and parental involvement can enable Deaf children togain cognitive information and educational levels at or near the level of theirhearing peers. Research and observation also indicate that the lack of earlyintervention and family involvement will have the opposite affect. In the past,most Deaf students graduated High School with a first to third grade readinglevel. Rather than being discouraged by the facts of the past, let’s beencouraged with the hope of the future. More and more states are passing lawsrequiring the mandatory testing of newborns for hearing loss, making earlyintervention and family involvement possible. Families can make a totaldifference for their Deaf child and do what is necessary to help them reachtheir full potential. That is the reason for our sign language books and videotapes, to give parents another tool to accomplish just that. Other helpfulresources (catalogs, magazines and websites) can be found on our links page. Itis not meant to be an exhaustive list, just a place to start equipping yourselffor this task.

        

We recently put together a FAQ for Parents resource on our website. The answers given there are meant to assist parents in their search for answers for their Dear and Hard of Hearing child. This information is not meant to be the “end all” absolute best answer for your situation.  There is not a “one size fits all” answer or solution. The approach and method that is best for a each child depends upon many factors and can only be decided on a case by case basis.

In searching for resources and assistance parents may actually end up changing approaches several times in the early stages. They are not stuck with one approach and method for the rest of their child's life.  What works now, may not be necessary or effective at a later time.  If parents find that what they are doing is not working, then I suggest they find what does work and change directions.  Simply put, I am advocating that parents find the best solutions for THEIR child and his particular set of circumstances.

I'm hoping the questions and answers in this resource will make parents make an more informed decision. Please follow this link to the web page on our website. The resources is also available as a PDF to download and print.

I hope the materials in this resource truly help parents and their children.
Sandy

        

After teaching for 30 years in Deaf Education, and seeing the dismal results of deaf Ed programs all over the US I became convinced that without active parental involvement, Deaf children will never reach their full potential. After dedicated teachers give everything they have to give and do their very best, 90% of Deaf students graduate HS with a 1st-3rd grade reading level. Statistics show that only 10% of parents of Deaf children learn to effectively communicate with their child.<< MORE >>

...Color of Language has a channel on YouTube? You can find it here.

We've placed samples of our DVD set Family Sign Language Video Series. The video below is the ASL Alphabet or finger spelling the alphabet. This video excerpt is also from a series we created to help introduce and demonstrate American Sign Language, or ASL so parents could learn to communicate with their deaf children. These video tapes (discontinued) and DVD's are used in classrooms, libraries and homes all across the U.S.

We hope, if you are new to Sign Language you learn a little about the incredible Deaf culture and this amazing language.

        

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