QUESTION:
Maria writes: "If a person has Botox to take away the angry wrinkle (due
to headache for example), how will they do when they ask 'What?' in sign
language -- because that expression is gone or very weak. Can the 'question
expression' be figured out from the rest of the face? "
ANSWER:
Conversing in sign language with someone who has had Botox treatments would be
the equivalent of a Hearing person having a voiced conversation with a monotone
speaker.
Two Hearing people will typically still be able to understand each other based
on the actual words being used.
However there may indeed be times when miscommunication happens.
I recall an interpreter friend of mine who told me about a time when the boss
was greeting employees and voiced:
"Working hard?" (as a question).
The Deaf employee could lip-read the question but not hear the intonation at the
end of the sentence and so thought the boss was saying:
"Working hard!"
(As in, "I can see you are working hard!" (which would be a compliment).
The Deaf employee responded, "Thank you!" (Assuming it was a compliment instead
of a question).
So, indeed, Botox treatments may influence signed communication and to some
extent result in miscommunication. It depends on the level of context involved.
The higher the context -- the less likely the miscommunication.
Notes:
Also see: Botox and ASL