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SignNexus sets the standard for excellence and efficiency when accommodating the diverse communication and cultural needs of individuals who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing.

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SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETING

SignNexus is a distinguished interpreting agency that specializes in American Sign Language, International Sign, and other sign language modalities. On-site and Remote Sign Language Interpreting Services are available to help organizations fulfill their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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SignNexus offers Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services, also known as Realtime Captioning, for live events. Remote Captioning Services are also available to facilitate ADA compliant accessibility for virtual events on any platform.

 

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Tag Archives: parents of deaf children

Discovering Deafness through Children’s Literature

books-literature-deaf-children-01Literature is one of the most powerful ways we come to understand society and our place in it. Through books, children learn about relationships, conflicts, empathy, morality, and how to classify their own emotions. Stepping into the lives of fictional characters, kids can experience a wide array of influential events in a very meaningful way— travel, adventure danger, love, loss, death— expanding their perspective, while remaining in a safe environment.

When choosing books for young children, then, it is important to consider the reality that is presented. Does your child’s library reflect the multiculturalism of the world we live in?

Books that feature deaf/ hard of hearing characters or protagonists should be added to every child’s collection! Whether you are the parent of a deaf child or the parent of a hearing child, introducing developing young minds to deafness can help cultivate an appreciation for human diversity.

10 Reasons to Make Sure There Are Deaf Characters In Your Child’s Library:

  1. Help children understand that deafness is a medical condition that has different levels, and that different people who are deaf can navigate the world in a wide variety of ways.books-literature-deaf-children-02
  2. Help children understand Deaf Culture and what it means to have Deaf identity.
  3. Help children understand that Sign Language is a visual language and why it is important.
  4. Familiarize children with the characteristics of people who are deaf/ HoH. For example, they may have hearing aids, cochlear implants, or an “accent.”
  5. Learn how to effectively overcome simple communication barriers in everyday situations.
  6. Learn how to welcome deaf children as friends.
  7. See the value of having diverse friend groups and the benefits of diversity in all situations.
  8. Important for deaf children to see themselves represented.
  9. See deaf/HoH individuals as role models.
  10. View deaf/HoH individuals as interesting and complex people worth getting to know.

RESOURCES

I asked parents on Twitter and Facebook for recommendations for books that feature deaf characters, protagonists, or themes of deafness and/or Deaf Culture. Below you will find a collection of book recommendations and resources. The list incorporates a variety of books for children of all different levels, with both fiction and non-fiction titles.

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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

  • A Birthday for Ben – by Kate Gaynor
  • A Place for Grace – by Jean Davies Okimoto
  • A Screaming Kind of Day – by Rachna Gilmore
  • Dad And Me in the Morning – by Patricia Lakin
  • Deaf Culture: A to Z – by Walter Paul Kelley
  • Dina The Deaf Dinosaur – by Carole Addabbo
  • Five Flavors of Dumb – by Anthony John
  • Hurt Go Happy: A Novel – by G. Robby
  • Jakes the Name : Sixth Grades the Game – by Deb Piper
  • Mandy – by Barbara D. Booth
  • Movers & Shakers: Deaf People Who Changed the World Storybook – by Cathryn Carroll & Susan M. Mather
  • One TV Blasting and A Pig Outdoors – by Deborah Abbott
  • River of hands : deaf heritage stories – by Symara Nichola Bonner
  • Robin sees a song – by Jim & Cheryl Pahz
  • Shay & Ivy: Beyond the Kingdom – by Sheena McFeely
  • Signs for Me – by Ben Bahan
  • Smart princess and other deaf tales – by Keelin Carey, Kristina Guevremont, and Nicole Marsh
  • Strong Deaf – by Lynn McElfresh
  • The Deaf Musicians – by Pete Seeger, Paul DuBois Jacobs
  • The Grump: The Original Short Story – by Mark Ludy
  • The Heart’s Language – by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
  • Deaf Child Crossing; Nobody’s Perfect; Leading Ladies – all by Marlee Matlin

LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES AND INFORMATION:

* http://pajka.blogspot.ca/
* https://www.verywell.com/top-childrens-books-on-deafness-1048509
* http://libguides.gallaudet.edu/content.php?pid=57898&sid=423917
* http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaourassoc/asclasections/lssps/lspdhhf/charauthors
* https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/23/what-its-like-to-be-a-deaf-novelist
* http://www.harriscomm.com/books-multimedia/deaf-author.html
* https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/may/19/julia-donaldson-deafness-what-the-jackdaw-saw-gruffalo
* https://del.icio.us/hlpuears/books

Do you have recommendations for children’s books that feature deaf characters, protagonists, or deafness as a theme? Please share your favorites in the comments! 

Raising A Deaf Child

deaf-children-asl-2After months of worrying about nursery colors and baby names, the big day has finally arrived! Your healthy bundle of joy is born with 10 fingers and 10 toes; crying and cooing in your arms. The baby is beautiful, your family is complete, everything feels perfect! Fast forward a few months down the road when, during a routine checkup, your pediatrician informs you that your infant can not hear. Suddenly, you’ve become the parent of a deaf child. What now?

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Discovering that a child is deaf can stir up a wide range of emotions in new parents. Most commonly, they feel shock, sorrow, and helplessness. Unfortunately, because many doctors deliver this news as a medical “diagnosis,” parents automatically believe that their child is ill. Or, worse, disabled! It causes a chain reaction of guilt, sadness, and fear. How will you raise your deaf child? You wonder if he or she will be able to have a good life. You wonder if you can “fix” them.

This topic is close to my heart because my grandparents learned that my mother was deaf when she was less than a year old. At that time, they didn’t know any deaf people, and had no idea what it would mean to raise a deaf child in a hearing world. My grandparents worried that their daughter would not be able to have a happy childhood, or a normal adolescence. Would she have friends? Would she be able to drive a car? Would she be able to laugh and have fun? There are so many misconceptions. Of course, as time went on, they discovered that deaf kids definitely can do all these things, and excel at them!

Baby-Sign-Language-4Selecting a method of communication for your child majorly influences where he or she will fit into society, and is critical to psychological development. There are several communication options to consider, depending on the child’s degree of hearing loss. Some parents choose to teach their deaf child to speak English using hearing aids and intensive speech training. In this approach, the child does not identify as deaf, and does not learn deaf communication.

ASL Cochlear Implant

Another option is the controversial, and increasingly popular cochlear implant– a fairly invasive surgical procedure where an electronic device is implanted into the baby’s head to simulate the sound-processing of a functioning ear. Modern science has come a long way with these prosthetics and, although the child will never experience hearing the same way as a non-deaf person would, they can technically hear. With many years of language therapy, cochlear implant patients can be nearly indistinguishable from their hearing peers. But communicating in the hearing world will never be simple for them, because science simply has not been able to replicate the subtle and specific nuances of our natural senses. These children are prone to rely on lip-reading and facial cues, and many require a number of educational resources to keep up with their peers in school. Parents are likely to consider this surgical procedure to “remedy” their child’s deafness because they want to make sure their child speaks and understands the same language they do. This is understandable, but is it what is really best for your deaf child?

As any deaf person will proudly tell you, deafness is an identity, not an impairment. They do not consider deafness a problem that needs to be “fixed.” Deaf culture is active, full of positive role models; and ASL is a rich, constantly evolving language. Another option for teaching your deaf child to communicate is to enroll him or her into a residential school. Deaf residential schools are staffed by deaf teachers fluent in ASL, who work with deaf toddlers all the way through high school to educate them in a way that is focused on their individual learning styles. Allowing your child to be deaf, to learn sign language, and to integrate with other deaf people is a great way to promote an atmosphere of equality, independence, and nurturing. The drawback of residential schools, of course, is that deaf children are separated from their parents. Fortunately, many have reported that the atmosphere of deaf culture fosters great mentor relationships at these institutions.

Being that I come from three generations of deafness, there is a high possibility that I may have deaf or HoH children, and I have to be prepared to teach my children both ASL and American English. If you wish to speak the same language as your deaf child, why not learn the language that was created just for them? Total communication strategy focuses on integrating both ASL and speech therapy, to provide opportunity, without altering the child’s identity. Embracing deaf culture as a family seems to me like a great compromise for helping your kids adjust to the world using all the tools available! Spoken communication is important in our audio world, but it is also extremely important for deaf children to be able to sign with their peers so they can communicate freely, and feel connected. If they decide not to speak out loud or sign later in life, that would be their choice. My guess would be they will cherish both hearing and deaf culture, and embrace both for the rest of their lives. Bilingualism is such a fantastic way to see the world through different eyes, and provides a real advantage to your deaf child! Now that I have provided you with the current options the choice is ultimately left in your hands. What will you decide to do?