Is this right?

Lillys dad

Lillys dad

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I am in the early stages of introducing my daughter to ASL. She is 2 1/2 years old with a CI and is doing wonderfully with speech and hearing. I have taught her several words in asl. She knows the signs for animals, boy, girl, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and things she wants like juice, cookie, cracker, milk, water and so on. I also use a couple of gestures that are not ASL but are common such as stop, up, down, big and little.
Tonight, she was having a temper tantrum. She was laying on the floor fussing like a typical toddler.
I stood over her and had a stern expression on my face to show her I was serious. I extended my arm and showed her my palm (stop). I pointed at her (you), gestured "big", signed "girl", (stop) again and pointed up (stand up).
I was telling her "stop! you are a big girl, stand up!" She stopped fussing and stood up. End of tantrum.
I know she understood it because it worked. My question is, is that the proper use for ASL? I know ASL puts a different order of the words used. Was this the right combination and use of the words to convey what I wanted to say?
Sorry so long.
 
:ty: I am watching the dvd Sign time and incorperating ASL into speech. I know there are several rules with asl that contradict english. I have fun teaching her, and she has more fun learning it!
 
aw thats so cute!! Yeah its easier to teach sign right now at her age because most of her age tend to express via feeling, signs, and gesture until she reach at older age she will be thanking you because you are WILLING to do anything to commuincate with her!!! :)
 
Hi Lillys dad,

You did use sign language the right way. Right now sign language does not have to be perfect, I remember my parents making some home made signs as we went along and when I went to school, I finally learned formal ASL and my mom learned ASL from me, my dad did not sign much because he was always busy working and doing alots also I am a boy so what does my dad really have much to say at that age, he really could not talk to me until I became a teenager but by then my dad was used to paper and pen. I really wanted my dad to learn ASL. He died in 1996 not knowing ASL so I really wish he did learn ASL. I am very thankful my mom learned SEE and ASL she was the first one to teach me SEE ( Signed Exact English ) which is why I have very good reading and writing English skills today but please remember every Deaf person's growth is unique and very individualized so what may work for one Deaf person may not work for another Deaf person but in this case, obivously ASL is really helping you and your daughter to communicate and I hope and pray that you will make ASL and sign language be part of everyday life in your family and God Bless !!!!! :angel:
 
Deaf Skeptic, they are cute arent they! I think its cute that she knows what Im saying, but her return sign is not quite right. Like when I ask her if she wants to drink water or juice. She responds by signing juice. Only she doesnt quite have the muscle control to extend only her pinky when making the J. SO she moves her hand in the right motion without the pinky. To me, its kind of like a toddler that is using thier voice. They know what they are saying, the parents know what they are saying, but no one else reallyl does. Like speech, signing come with time and practice.

Heath, Thats how I look at it. As long as we understand each other, I can make up my own signs. I just want to keep it based on ASL. That way when she is introduced to formal ASL, she will have a grasp of it.
I dont want to get to personal, but tis kind of sad that your father never learned sign. As a father, I would feel like I do not know my adughter
 
Lillys dad said:
:ty: I am watching the dvd Sign time and incorperating ASL into speech. I know there are several rules with asl that contradict english. I have fun teaching her, and she has more fun learning it!
Click to expand...

I was just about to mention Signing Time to you. I started a recent thread about it here. I find that it will be extremely helpful when it comes to learning the signs, but will not help much in regards to proper ASL grammar.

For me, I have no problem with the grammar, but have a difficult time remembering signs. I actually use Signing Time to help me with my signs.
 
Lillysdad - you did exactly the right thing!!

If you have problem with a sign, just let me know!!
 
Lillys Dad, I think you did just fine. All that matters is that if she understood you and you both can communicate, then that is all that really matters.
 
Hey Lily'sdad......maybe you could find an ASL mentor for your family.
It's good that you're teaching her sign early on. I totally applaud that! There are kids who are orally skilled, but who still need to use a 'terp in learning/ non-one on one situtions.
 
Lilly's Dad: Hooray for you and for your daughter! CI and oral skills are wonderful aids to communication, but so many kids still need the visual input for complete understanding. I applaud you for not shutting the use of sign out of your and your daughter's life.

ASL syntax can be confusing. But for now, at the beginning stages, your were correct. Most deaf kids that rely on sign will naturally gravitate toward ASL syntax, because it makes so much more sense in the visual mode. I always explain it this way: ASL paints a picture, you sign what you would paint first. English describes the picture.

Keep up the good work.
 
Thanks again everyone! Lilly is doing great with sign. Yesterday we went to the park to play. I have to take her CI off so she can play on the slides. I signed to her that she could only play for a short time longer and she got it! I pointed at her, then signed "play", gestured (little), then pointed at my watch. She understood it!
 
Lillys dad said:
Thanks again everyone! Lilly is doing great with sign. Yesterday we went to the park to play. I have to take her CI off so she can play on the slides. I signed to her that she could only play for a short time longer and she got it! I pointed at her, then signed "play", gestured (little), then pointed at my watch. She understood it!
Click to expand...

Isn't that just the happiest feeling in the whole world, when you find a way to truly communicate with your child and you see that light of understanding in their little eyes? I want to cry just thinking about how that feels. I still remeber the first signs I made to my son, and saw that light in his eyes. That's what lets you know that you are doing the right thing.

My heart goes out to you and your daughter.:wave:
 
:ty: We have been using some signs for a while now. We had our own made up signs that we used. Its only recently we started using asl signs. She actually understands almost everything we say to her using speech. We started using asl so we could communicate when she was not wearing her processor. The amazing thing with sign as opposed to asl is the fact that she picks up sign alot faster. We soemtimes tell her a word several times for her to "get it". With sign, we show her once or twice and she knows it.
The cool thing is when I sign a complete sentence to her and she understands it.
 
Lillys dad said:
Heath, Thats how I look at it. As long as we understand each other, I can make up my own signs. I just want to keep it based on ASL. That way when she is introduced to formal ASL, she will have a grasp of it.
I dont want to get to personal, but tis kind of sad that your father never learned sign. As a father, I would feel like I do not know my adughter
Click to expand...

It is o.k. My dad and I both got along most of the time and we knew each other in our own way, paper and pen, home made signs and alittle of talking or going to the bar and hang out and go hunting , fishing or work on fixing something or just mellow out, watch the football game on t.v. or the educational t.v. channels like Discovery Channel or History Channel. We had our own way of doing things like that. Most of all, we liked to drink beer sometimes whiskey too. I agree it would have been alots better if he knew more ASL or more sign language that he could pick up. My dad was of the old traditions so that had alots to do with it. The one thing I am very 100% sure of is if my dad had a Deaf daughter then he probably would have learned way much more ASL but I was a boy growing up turning into a man so there really wasn't much use for ASL from my dad's point of view which is fine, I just wished he would of learned as much as my mom did and enough to carry on a real conversation about everyday life, things like that so ASL can really save the family alots when you have Deaf children in your life and it makes your family life a whole alots better and more complete. Have fun learning ASL and I am sure it will be a journey that goes on forever with your daughter and learning ASL everyday through the good and bad times as well. I hope ASL will strengthen both of you ( father and daughter ties ) until it is so strong that nothing can stop both of you while talking in ASL. God Bless !!!!! :angel:
 
Lillys dad said:
:ty: We have been using some signs for a while now. We had our own made up signs that we used. Its only recently we started using asl signs. She actually understands almost everything we say to her using speech. We started using asl so we could communicate when she was not wearing her processor. The amazing thing with sign as opposed to asl is the fact that she picks up sign alot faster. We soemtimes tell her a word several times for her to "get it". With sign, we show her once or twice and she knows it.
The cool thing is when I sign a complete sentence to her and she understands it.
Click to expand...

It's cool that you are so perceptive that you are picking up on the things a lot of hearing parents miss. Your daughter has a CI, and it allows her to perceive some sounds, but it doesn't make her hearing. She is still very visual, even with the sound perception provided by the CI. You understand that and take care of her communication needs accordingly. You don't have the attitude that the CI has "fixed" her, and she is no longer deaf. That is what I mean when I say that a deaf child with a CI is still a deaf child.

Continue what you are doing, and I am sure that you will raise a very happy, well adjusted daughter--provided the school system doesn't mess her up too badly! But I am certain you will fight for her needs to be addressed at school, as well.

It does my heart good to read your posts and see the pride you take in her accomplishments. You are a wonderful daddy.
 
Yeh, I also use sign when I displine my daughter. But that is done by all parents. Body-language is used at all times..

I do add sign. Especially "stop" and "enough" and it helps a lot... as long as you can make your child look at you. Sometimes that requires force and I don't like that. (Looking away is a powerful tool for these kids)

jillio said:
......... You don't have the attitude that the CI has "fixed" her, and she is no longer deaf. That is what I mean when I say that a deaf child with a CI is still a deaf child.....
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I disagree. A child with CI falls inbetween a hearing child and a deaf child. There is a difference, and I feel that the child with Ci is closer to a hearing child. The benefit of the child being deaf is that it will be used to sign, and that helps alot. (At least, when you yourself knows sign..)

Hey Lillys Dad.... I thought only Lotte had tantrums..... LOL
 
All kids have tantrums!LOL

Jilliio, I know we disagree with some of your CI issues, and I respect that. I do tend to agree with Cloggys statement. I know she is still deaf. I have no problem with that. The CI does not "fix" the fact. Besides, I dont want her fixed because there is nothing wrong with her. The fact that she is deaf is just a part of who she is.

I will continue later, I gotta go.
 
Lillys dad said:
Deaf Skeptic, they are cute arent they! I think its cute that she knows what Im saying, but her return sign is not quite right. Like when I ask her if she wants to drink water or juice. She responds by signing juice. Only she doesnt quite have the muscle control to extend only her pinky when making the J. SO she moves her hand in the right motion without the pinky. To me, its kind of like a toddler that is using thier voice. They know what they are saying, the parents know what they are saying, but no one else reallyl does. Like speech, signing come with time and practice.
Click to expand...

Yeah it does. I remember when the dorm supervisor brought her young kids over to VSDB, we'd sign to each other and joke around abit before she took them off to nursery school.

I also remember I'd beep at my nephew and he'd beep at me and when people asked us what we were doing, I told them we were speaking in morse code.
 
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