Baby Fingers was not designed to be a political organization and we have no desire to become one. We do believe, however, that in order to learn a language, it’s important to have an understanding of its related community and culture. We teach sign language. American Sign Language is not simply a set of disconnected gestures and symbols – it is a language in its own right with a distinct grammatical structure and a very rich history.
Clearly some of the historical controversy with regard to language acquisition, assistive technology, communication methods and educational philosophy remains.
That being said, at Baby Fingers we have found that there’s no downside to learning sign language and there are tremendous benefits. It doesn’t have to be used forever and it’s not an all-or-nothing process. Incorporating signs (with speech when possible) during the pre-verbal and/or developing verbal phase has been linked to enhanced parent-child bonds, increased self-esteem, and stronger command of language regardless of hearing status.
However, there’s always another perspective, a different experience. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.” ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
What is frustrating for me, as a professional in this field having worked with D/deaf students and hearing children of Deaf adults, and as someone with many successful friends and colleagues who are Deaf, is that people often make assumptions without doing their research, without seeing that other perspective, without an open mind. Not all people born deaf will be successful learning to speak and hear, despite the advancements in assistive technology. Even with successful speech therapy and auditory training, many people who are Deaf still find ASL to provide an avenue for freer self-expression and cultural connection. Not all Deaf parents wish for deaf children. Many Deaf, signing students graduate from high school at a 12th grade reading and writing level just like their hearing peers, attend college and graduate school, and have successful professional lives whether they’re working in the Deaf community or not. Some Deaf adults are curious about what it might be like to hear…there are Deaf adults who have found cochlear implants to be beneficial for them and others who have tried them without success. Equally frustrating to me is the lack of resources in certain arenas for people who do rely on sign language. “Broadway” shows are accessible only during certain interpreted performances – unless it’s something like Deaf West’s production of Spring Awakening. Additionally, interpreters are not always funded and readily accessible in medical, legal, and educational settings. I don’t think that’s specific to ASL interpreters, but also translators for languages other than English in general, however there seems to be decreased funding for ASL interpreting programs. There’s also insufficient insurance reimbursement for some of the expensive procedures and technology related to deafness. And finally, though this list is not exhaustive, while I’ve got the floor and we’re talking about pet peeves here, “baby sign language” is not a language, just like when your child vocally babbles and approximates speech it is not considered “baby English.” You model language and your child imitates it at his or her developmental level. Just my own 2-cents here with regard to exposing your hearing or deaf child to sign language like we do at Baby Fingers.
Regardless of your philosophy and cultural connection, it doesn’t have to be “us” vs “them.” ASL, spoken language, hearing aids, CIs, Deaf, deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing can co-exist. Let’s keep an open mind and support one another regardless of personal choices. Let’s celebrate each other’s vast accomplishments. Let’s bridge the gap.
