Maybe Someone Can Help - DD Needs an ASL Class

A

AMom

New Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hi Everyone,
I'm not sure where to turn for this information and found you on a Google search. I'm hoping someone here will be able to help. For background, everyone in our family is hearing.

My DD (15) would like to take ASL as her language of choice but her school only offers Spanish. She dislikes Spanish immensely and has always, since she's been in grade school, wanted to learn ASL. She hopes to one day work with special needs children who communicate through sign.

Anyway, her school doesn't offer it and they suggested she attend a night class at a college or high school evening education class so she will receive the proper credits but I've run into a brick wall at every turn. I can't find any classes offered close enough for me to get her there a few times a week.

We live in a suburb, south of Boston, MA. I'd love to find a class somewhere convenient enough for me to drive her back and forth a few times a week. I can't leave work early and honestly, there's no way I'd ever drive in Boston. I'm a wimp.

I'd love to find a class in neighboring town but can't seem to find any classes being offered. I can't believe it. ASL is much more important than French or Spanish or German or Italian or whatever they teach in schools. I have a neice that didn't talk until she was close to 4 and she used ASL to communicate. I can't believe they make the kids take Spanish or French in school instead of something much more useful. Sorry, I'm on a rant. Not my intention.

DD came home today very upset and is putting her foot down about the Spanish. She said she'll fail it on purpose if she has to, she doesn't want to take it.

Does anyone know of an accredited ASL class being offered south of Boston MA?

Thanks.
 
AMom said:
Hi Everyone,

My DD (15) would like to take ASL as her language of choice but her school only offers Spanish. She dislikes Spanish immensely and has always, since she's been in grade school, wanted to learn ASL. She hopes to one day work with special needs children who communicate through sign.

We live in a suburb, south of Boston, MA. I'd love to find a class somewhere convenient enough for me to drive her back and forth a few times a week. I can't leave work early and honestly, there's no way I'd ever drive in Boston. I'm a wimp.

Does anyone know of an accredited ASL class being offered south of Boston MA?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Oh boy.......does she want to work with Deaf children or "special needs" kids? There's a difference you know. Kids with special needs do use ASL, but they use it more as an alternative method of communciaiton, rather then an actual full fledged language, the way dhh kids do. Sometimes girls with a bent towards special ed, get interested in ASL and think that it's a special ed thing. It really isn't.
Have you looked into classes at Deaf INC? DEAF Inc., Boston MA: Resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
 
deafdyke said:
Oh boy.......does she want to work with Deaf children or "special needs" kids? There's a difference you know. Kids with special needs do use ASL, but they use it more as an alternative method of communciaiton, rather then an actual full fledged language, the way dhh kids do. Sometimes girls with a bent towards special ed, get interested in ASL and think that it's a special ed thing. It really isn't.
Have you looked into classes at Deaf INC? DEAF Inc., Boston MA: Resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
Click to expand...

That one does not look like a "for credit class" that would be accepted by the high school.
 
Boston has a huge deaf community. I'm sure there are classes all over.
 
The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham ( Current ASL Schedule ), west of Boston, has evening courses 1X a week open to the community for $150 (compared to BU's $2500) -- it's a hike, but your child's HS may accept it for credit given that it's a standard program of instruction and some of the instructors also teach at NEU. I live South of Boston, closer to Providence on the RI border and I've taken courses at TLC in which high school aged kids participated very comfortably.

Bridgewater State may offer an ASL class at a reasonable rate, and that's south, but I've got no first-hand knowledge of it.
 
I'm sure a local program would be much better -- but if that is too difficult to manage, lifeprint.com has a program:

American Sign Language (ASL)

Many people use the web site for free. You only need to pay if you need the documentation to prove that you took the online course and need to have your work graded. The web master says that students need to check with their local high school or college to determine if they will accept the work done in this program and award credit. Lifeprint.com only provides documentation that the work was done, they don't award credit themselves.
 
Jazzberry said:
I'm sure a local program would be much better -- but if that is too difficult to manage, lifeprint.com has a program:

American Sign Language (ASL)

Many people use the web site for free. You only need to pay if you need the documentation to prove that you took the online course and need to have your work graded. The web master says that students need to check with their local high school or college to determine if they will accept the work done in this program and award credit. Lifeprint.com only provides documentation that the work was done, they don't award credit themselves.
Click to expand...

And it's a great program... it's helping me through sign 3!!!:hmm:
 
Back
Top