Deaf: ASL and English
by webmaster on Jan.31, 2010, under ASL
(Roughly Translated)
This is very important for all Deaf babies and children in the USA and most of Canada to learn American Sign Language (ASL) as their first natural language at home and school. At home, parents must be aware that they need to learn ASL in order to communicate with their own children as naturally as possible.
In my view, Deaf children should be expected to attend ASL schools to learn two languages, ASL (expressing, acquiring, writing and reading) as their first language and English (writing and reading) as their second language.
If parents want their Deaf children to have an additional option of speech, parents will need to be aware that speech is NOT natural and also burdens Deaf children. Parents must discuss with appropriate and credible professionals and ensure to include their Deaf children in the discussion to make decision. NEVER force their Deaf child to learn speech that they don’t want or cannot understand. If so, it would lead to a very painful and difficult path for them like millions of Deaf people who already went through it.Â
Many Deaf children who are denied to use and learn their natural language, ASL, will face a huge painful problem ahead of them. The relationship with parents might NOT be rosy and could be in an extremely difficult situation such as frustration, sorrow, unforgiving, hatred and even end of relationship. That has happened to many Deaf people. Nobody on earth deserves that.
Most important of all is to provide all parents knowlegable and relevant resources such as Deaf and ASL studies, Deaf History, ASL, Deafhood, Culture studies and ASL education. When the parents understand “What does Deaf mean?”, they will have normal relationship with their Deaf children like any hearing parents with their hearing children.
Yes we are aware of some parents who don’t have ASL resources in their home area. It is a very tough situation. It is important to set up or join parents group or DBC chapter to advocate and lobby any level of government to include ASL/Deaf program in any system. It will help parents learn ASL and understand ASL/Deaf and it will benefit not only parents but also Deaf children and their future life.
The oralism is, in fact, a burden to the society!
2 Comments for this entry
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Canada
February 1st, 2010 on 6:56 pm
Agreed! No deaf child should be left behind. I remember having read a comment left by a Swedish reader. He said that in Sweden the government would make parents attend sign language classes once they have a deaf baby. The government would also have a social worker check if parents do attend. If they do not attend, the social worker would take deaf babies to deaf foster parents who would expose SSL to deaf babies. True enough parents have to comply with the government by learning sign language. Unfortunately, in the USA, doctors send deaf babies to oral schools when asked by parents instead of urging parents to send deaf babies to bilingual schools. AGB has a strong affiliation with Congress by serving on a Congressional health comnmittee. I wish that the NAD would serve on the same committee so they would remind all committee members about the importance of learning ASL as the first language.
February 10th, 2010 on 11:10 pm
Without my doubts, I fully agree with you and Jean’s comment.
Yes, I always believe that every Deaf needs a visually-based education because the knowledge is so powerful that helps them to be liberated from the audistic slavery.
The simple proverb for Deaf child is
“Without ASL, without learning”
David Ennis