Deafness is often regarded to as a silent disability because for the most part there isn’t any kind of visual queue that distinguishes a hearing person from a deaf person. It affects about two to four of every thousand infants born (Klass D6). And of those that are born deaf, ninety percent of them are born to hearing parents (Goldin-Meadow, Mylander, and Franklin 87-135). The compromise that must be made to develop a healthy relationship of communication between hearing parents and deaf children is American Sign Language (ASL).
Hearing parents may be intimidated by ASL and may even reject it as a means to communicate with their deaf child. In doing so, many parents will make the mistake of trying to teach their child to speak their first language. As aggressively as the parents may try, they will ultimately fail. At best, a deaf child may develop language at a much delayed state (Goldin-Meadow, Mylander, and Franklin 87-135). This process needs to be reversed. For hearing parents American Sign Language will be a second language, however, for their child it will be his or her first.
Deafness does not impair or hinder language acquisition, meaning that every child has the ability to communicate effectively. Educational programs, such as bilingual-bicultural programs, are designed to help deaf children adapt and learn ASL as they become immersed in the beauty of the deaf culture. These programs are essential because they give child a positive and healthy prospective of who they are as person. More importantly bilingual-bicultural programs will introduce deaf children to other deaf children. In this way, they learn that they are not alone. Often times, when deaf children are sent to mainstream speaking schools they feel isolated and educationally deprived because the necessary resources are not available to cater their needs. Thus bilingual-bicultural programs are a significant help to foster social, cognitive, and academic milestones for all deaf children (Baker and Baker).
Another great resource for parents are ASL storybooks provided by a relatively new company called ASL Tales. ASL storybooks are specifically designed for deaf children and retell traditional fairy tales in ASL. Each of the stories come with an interactive DVD, in which the story is performed. This project was not done solely for the children of the deaf community but also for the second language ASL learners as well. The goal isn’t to teach fluency, but to introduce the language (Nail 280-285). These stories will help build a solid base for hearing parents to learn ASL because they provide familiarity and even a want to tell their child a tale that they also love and want to share.
American Sign Language provides a means of community, culture, and communication for every person and child who is deaf or hard of hearing. It is more than just an expressive body language, it is the deaf culture’s heart and soul. And while the hearing community may feel intimidated, a more intimate look at ASL will reveal that it is a very inviting and beautiful language. All we need is to stride in with an open heart and open mind.
REFERENCES
Baker, Sharron, and Keith Baker. "Communication Strategies - American Sign Language (Bilingual / Bicultural)." Resources and Information. HelpKidsHear.Org, Aug 1997. Web. 18 May 2010.
Goldin-Meadow, Susan, Carolyn Mylander, and Amy Franklin. "How Children Make Language Out of Gesture: Morphological Structure in Gesture Systems Developed by American and Chinese Deaf Children." Cognitive Psychology 55.2 (2007): 87-135. Web. 18 May 2010.
Klass, Perri. "What to Do When a Newborn Can't Hear." New York Times 11 May 2010, Late Edition: D6. Print.
Nail, Steve. "ASL Tales Bridges the Gap Between Deaf and Hearing Children." Canadian Library Association. 54.6 (2008): 280-285. Print.
