The goal is communication not placating the insecurities of others.
On Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at 11:52:19 AM PDT, █████ ██████
<█████████@gmail.com>
wrote:
Hello Dr. Vicars, my name is █████ and my grandson █████
was born with Down Syndrome. He struggles to talk. He tries but if you don't
know him most of it is not understandable. He has used sign language since
birth. (I try teaching him ASL but it's slow. I'm the only signer in the family
since his mom passed 10 years ago)
Right now he is almost 15 and I am teaching him to read since he's not been
taught in school. For reading purposes so he can show me and mostly teachers
that he knows the words he's reading, I am using the English signs for example
"am" "is" " T-H-E" etc (I myself grew up using SEE sign. Not proud of it but
that's what I was taught at the age of seven years old).
I really don't like doing this and would prefer using strictly ASL, but feel
it's almost necessary to know if he's actually reading and understanding the
words or not. What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you,
█████ ██████
_____________________________
█████,
I'm a "total communication" sort of fellow.
Educators should know and use a wide, effective range of communication tools.
If you are discussing the weekend's activities then ASL is almost assuredly the
most effective (for in-person visual-based communication).
When discussing English then a combination of ASL and occasional Signed English
signs (tools really) can be effective in mapping to or clarifying specific
English concepts.
I know ASL. I also know quite a bit of Signed English. I'm not
embarrassed by knowing signed English any more than a master mechanic would be
embarrassed by having a substantial toolbox that happens to include some tools
that are only used for specific situations.
However it is problematic (or at least less effective) when someone tries to use
the wrong tool (or the wrong communication approach) at the wrong time.
Also problematic is when the same tool is used for everything (particularly when
a different tool is available and would be more effective for a specific
situation).
Perhaps the worst problem though is when someone thinks that any particular tool
is bad or wrong.
Tools aren't bad or wrong -- they are just (sometimes) misused.
I'm using written English right now. Not ASL. Oh NOOOOOOO!!!! (LOL).
The reality is emails generally work well with typed English.
The reality is I'm bilingual. (So are to some extent the vast majority of
Deaf American adults. It is a fact that the "written" language of the
American Deaf community is "written or typed English" -- let's not pretend
otherwise.)
The reality is I don't feel like switching to my work clothes, turning on my
webcam, doing several recordings until I get a good one, compressing the file,
trying to email it to you as an attachment and having it get dropped or blocked
due to being over 25MB in size, blah, blah, blah.
In other words I'm using the right tool for the situation (typed English as an
email response to someone who emailed me using typed English).
Children will be much better off if the adults in their lives focus on the goal
of providing a language rich environment and using every tool possible to avoid
language deprivation -- without throwing out any of the tools. The goal of
a language rich environment is best achieved by having access to a wide variety
of tools and using the best tool for the each communication need.
Yes, sure, focus on ASL for the vast majority of communication -- not because
someone will criticize you if you don't but rather because it is the right tool
for most everyday visual-based in-person communication.
If some other tool is the most effective for some specific communication task
then use the most effective tool! Pointing, showing a picture on your
phone, using Signed English, typing it out -- whatever is most effective.
That however is not an excuse for parents of Deaf children (and other visual
communicators) to not learn ASL. It rather is a call to learn ASL as a
foundation and then expand one's communication toolbox from there.
As far as inspiring your grandson to read -- find out what topic (or topics) HE
is fascinated about -- then provide him with all types of literature related to
that subject and chances are like magic he will spend gobs of time and effort
reading and thus improve at it.
For me it was super heroes and comic books. I don't think it is an exaggeration
to state that I graduated college thanks to Spider-Man.
What it will be for your grandson -- who knows?!? Maybe it is monster trucks?
Fishing? Bugs? Even if he doesn't get much past the basics there are
endless possibilities with the potential for joy and bonding in the discovery
process.
Warm regards,
Bill
William G. Vicars, EdD
Notes:
Also see: Signed English is not
the enemy...
Notes: