childhood, Linda Bove- Sesame Street.
at the time as a little kid, just thought it was neat.
then I worked Summers during college at a recreational program for kids with disabilities and kids who were deaf; there were variously Deaf staff and the program was housed in a school that had some Deaf teachers and a deaf ed. program during the regular school year. The first year I worked there the program supervisor was a CODA whose family was longtime member of the Deaf community. I was really intrigued and learned a lot during the time I worked there.
When I was 14, lost my hearing and public schools could no longer accommodate me, so was shipped off to Morganton ((NCSD)...was a real shocker to see kids and people using their hands to talk.
I was a teenager, I think. It was two people arguing, of all things. I mean, a real knock-down, drag out row! Right in the middle of a mall. If they had been speaking, they would have been yelling.
I thought it was really cool. (ASL, not the fight. LOL!)
When I was a kid, I think in first or second grade, back when they hadn't started mainstreaming yet and had "deaf ed" at the public schools. Some of my classmates in deaf ed used sign language with the teachers. Of course, I didn't really "get" what it was until later.
Probably first grade when I went to the Alexander Graham School for the Deaf (boy was I lucky to get into an oral program WEEEEEEE ). We used ASL outside and on the school bus. Then I was mainstreamed so I forgot my ASL and didn't see or use any ASL until I went to Korea.
It's strange to look back on those early years and realize that was one of the few times in my life that I had no communication issues with my friends. At least until I went to Gally.
I remember seeing it on Sesame Street, but don't remember how old I was. After that, I took a class at 16 and it didn't really have an impact on me since my father was there as well and it was all people who were in their 50's-70's. When I was in Washington, MO I remember seeing a couple signing and I asked them about it. I mentioned to them that I had just lost all my hearing and they were very friendly.