It's up for debate, or is it?

LinuxGold said:
Can you expound the procedure of "cognitive shift" that your brain made when you used ASL? Can you try and analyze step by step from original thought to the final sentence, dissect them and present them in ordered list? Tell us what your mind looked like, how your "processor" section analyze while compiling a sentence and verified that it accurately depicts your original thought?
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Hmmm:hmm: that is a tall request. I've never tried to describe it in words before. I just experience it. But I'll try.

Say one of my clients walked into my office and I know that they are going to use sign to communicate. My brain kind of goes on alert knowing what is going to happen next. Almost like when a dog pricks his ears up at some sound no one else heard. Then, when they begin to sign to me, it is almost like the right side of my brain feels slightly heavier than the left side. At that point, I am no longer thinking in words. I don't really see pictures in my head, unless I am not certain what is being communicated to me. Then I see pictures of the concept...I guess that is my brain's way of making sure I understand. But if everything is flowing smoothly, I just allow my brain to absorb the signs, and it is like I feel what is being communicated. No more words at all...just intuitive understanding based on the signs. Then when I switch back to English, the right side of my brain slowly goes back to feeling the same as the left side.

The problem is, when I start to write up my case notes, I have a problem trying to put our ASL conversation into words that really express the nature of our interaction. It always takes me longer to write case notes for my signing clients.:giggle:

I don't know if that gets the point across, but if there are any questions, I'll try to add to it. It is kind of like, when someone says "chair" to me, I don't see a chair in my head, but I know exactly that the symbol they just said represents a chair. Same thing with ASL. I know the sign represents a concept, and I just understand the meaning without thinking about it. I just do it visually.
 
Jillo, I'll try mine. I wrote this poem just now:

ASL to me, is like an art,
With oil paste and brush,
The bristles, belly, toe, heel, ferrule,
And handle of the brush;
Intermixing the colors, the tone of it all,
Whether it be gleeful, stormy or sincere,
Fluently with hands so supple,
Anticipating to express so artfully.

Imagine the true intention,
From my soul core,
It's like mind over matter,
To that person,
Affixed to stamp the image,
Into mind like branding cattle,
Depicting my intention firmly,
Not a maroon, but burgundy!

Picture is descriptive,
More than what words can say,
Like fireworks exploding furiously,
Splattering on canvas everywhere,
From one artist to other,
Only they can understand.

Original thought is only that,
Original and true;
It cannot be repainted,
Otherwise it will be dull,
Everything must be perfect,
Like a nature,
To each to their own,
Expressing so comely!
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Wow! That is beautiful, and so descriptive. Thanks for sharing that.:ty:
 
LG and Jillio, :ty:both for sharing your poem and thoughts, both were very insightful to me:)
 
AuslanGirl said:
Ha ha! If I get into ANY alcohol, I start signing...and if I don't drink too much, my signing is better than when I don't drink...how on earth does THAT work??? LOL!!

AuslanGirl :)
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Ha! I'm much better too! It probably has to do with how relaxed you are so you aren't over thinking it. :giggle:
 
jillio said:
I will certainly try.:P

All people perceive information through sensory avenues such as vision, hearing, touch, etc. That information is then sent to particular areas of the brain to be processed. Seeing, hearing, feeling are the result of that process. Then we translate that information into something that we can relate to in order to give it meaning.

The deaf tend to use different avenues in processing various types of information than the hearing do. For instance, hearing people tend to process sound exclusively in the auditory centers and to give it meaning by relating to something they have heard before. The deaf tend to process sound in both the auditory and the visual centers and give it meaning by relating it to something they have seen before.

Also, the deaf tend to use a technique known as top down processing more often than the hearing. That is the process of seeing something as a whole and then breaking in down into the elements that make it up. Hearing people rely on bottom up processing more, where they first see the elements and then put them together to form the whole.

This can get confusing, I know. But I am happy to answer any questions you have, and to keep explaining until I make it understandable.
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That is so true! I just a few days ago, when Naisho posted his thread about how our thoughts are processed, came to the realisation of what you are talking about. It explains everything to me now. Why I get confused so easily with directions and sudden urgent instructions. As I was reading your post, I also realised that I don't think in English - I am reading English in my mind! It is still visual!!. When I am working out what people are saying, I am processing the words I have read only.
 
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For me, it's not confusing at all, Jilio.
I tend to be a very holistic, intuitive person - see big picture - literally, a picture,usually - and then break it down. It's partly what I do naturally and partly a result of my work as a dog trainer-
 
dogmom said:
For me, it's not confusing at all, Jilio.
I tend to be a very holistic, intuitive person - see big picture - literally, a picture,usually - and then break it down. It's partly what I do naturally and partly a result of my work as a dog trainer-
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That is very understandable. I would imagine you see the big picture, as in the dog's presenting behaviors, and then break it down to see what the animal is reacting to and why. That would give you what you need to make a plan for changing the behavior.
 
BecLak said:
That is so true! I just a few days ago, when Naisho posted his thread about how our thoughts are processed, came to the realisation of what you are talking about. It explains everything to me now. Why I get confused so easily with directions and sudden urgent instructions. As I was reading your post, I also realised that I don't think in English - I am reading English in my mind! It is still visual!!. When I am working out what people are saying, I am processing the words I have read only.
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That is *SO* much like me. I see pictures and often describe it as a puzzle that I have to take apart. I don't know if I see the word as much as I see an example of what the words mean in my mind. Running = person running but I don't think I see the word running.

I sometimes get stuck on the translation of what the words are because there are too many words so I miss parts of the conversation.
 
yeah, this is correct, Jillio, about helping to see how to change dog's behavior.
Focus on the tiniest step of what I want, reward THAT. Or approximation of that. Ignore, manage, prevent what I can't control....say, a storm is coming which causes behavioral change<ignore/manage> , or puppy wants to chew on antique glass table legs of table that can't be moved due to size, location <prevent>etc.
I've always thought holistically and it increased as I learned about behavior and nutrition....perspective lends itself to many things.

rebecca, your phrase about getting stuck on translation of words is also familiar to me because I've had that happen ....problems with auditory processing - trying to follow directions - figure out or remember part of it and then have missed the rest. And this has also happened more recently in relation to my peripheral hearing too.
 
The challenge for me is that hearies use so many little words and I feel like saying, "Get to the point!" :giggle: Want to ask, "Say only important words. Too many words make it hard to translate live, fall behind, then can't understand conversation, have to start again."

Make sense?

I'm also directionally challenged. Another poster mentioned, how do you say, landmarks? This is like me as well. I need a visual for where I need to go instead of words. Mapquest should have an ASL version. :giggle:

Oh, I saw photos of your family in the other thread. What a *beautiful* family you have.
 
Thanks, great this is, I need show my interpreter friend, explains me much my challenges:)
 
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