On behalf of SIGNING FAMILIES we wish all a happy holiday season!
Below you will find in our slideshow some common holiday words in American Sign Language (ASL) For more information about sign language or to learn how to sign – please visit our website or our FACEBOOK page where nearly 5000 people visit and share. We also have many of our videos on YouTube for your enjoyment!
Have a safe, joyous, healthy and wonderful holiday season!
~Louise
What is in your lunchbox today? I have started to take a real look at the food I have been eating and serving. I can’t eat the same foods I did when I was a much younger “me”. So, I am focusing on “real foods”. Ones that are as close to the original source as possible. That includes discovering new veggies (Brussell sprouts with balsamic vinegar grilled are yummy- who knew?) and fruits (I am loving apricots these days!) Plus adding at my doctors insistence dairy products .. including milk and yogurt. ( I never was much of a milk drinker, but I am learning to use it in smoothies and coffee.) And, although I prefer non-meat options I have been eating protein with meat and fish to help me be healthy and curb hunger!
Many families who follow SIGNING FAMILIES have asked me to post words in American Sign Language which are food related. So, here you go.. foods that help keep us healthy!
THESE BOLDED WORDS ARE DEPICTED IN OUR SLIDESHOW
EAT and FOOD
VEGETABLE : POTATO
FRUIT : APPLE, PEAR, PEACH, BANANA
DAIRY: CHEESE, MILK, YOGURT
NOTE: Due to unforseen circumstance the ASL Summer online camp has been cancelled. Look for an upcoming announcement for another option for learning ASL during the summer!
It seemed only appropriate that I honor Mom’s everywhere by sharing some of my favorite photos of Signing Families kid models demonstrating signs for MOM/MOMMY/ MOTHER, LOVE/ I LOVE YOU and CARE/ CARING/ TAKE CARE.
To learn more sign language please visit YouTube and Ustream for our SIGNING FAMILIES free access videos.
When my children were young I use to sign them up for many different interactive and educational camps. I recall waiting on a long line to get a “slot” for the AMERICAN GIRL doll camp being offered through our local parks and recreation center. From sports to creative art camps my kids sampled them all. Most of the time they were fun and no complaints were heard.
It is because I think learning at any age should be FUN and INTERACTIVE that I am offering this summer via my company SIGNING FAMILIES an online LIVE sign language “camp”. This will be for kids and their families to learn the basics of sign language as an “online summer camp program”.
WHEN WILL IT BE OFFERED?
The online camp dates now available are the week of June 17th or the week of June 24th. If there is great interest then more online camp dates will be added.
The camp will be for one online hour per day for five consecutive days. It will be group instruction. Time TBD but most likely 1pmET, 11am PT
HOW WILL STUDENTS CONNECT?
All you would need to do is have the ability for video chat online. We will most likely use SKYPE or a comparable system such as GOOGLE HANGOUT.
HOW MANY STUDENTS PER SESSION?
The class will have up to 9 students involved which will make for great conversation and practice. Each student also will have an extra 60 minutes during the week for one on one questions and practice.
DO WE GET ANY MATERIALS?
In addition, each person who signs up will get our SIGNING FAMILIES ASL FOLDER, ASL POSTER and one DVD from our catalog (either Baby, Toddler and Preschool Sign Language or Sign Language for Emergency Situations).
WHAT WILL THE ONLINE CAMP COVER?
* Basic greetings in ASL
* People an common places
* School words
* Alphabet and numbers
* Basic animals, transportation and action words
THE COST per STUDENT?
The total cost for the online camp AND the materials mentioned above is $79 ( EARLY BIRD special $69 if signed up by May 1, 2013)
HOW TO SIGN UP?
If you are interested in learning more about the camp or to sign up as an EARLY BIRD.. please comment below or connect via the FACEBOOK post, too.
HOW TO PAY
Once confirmed that you are signing up for a camp session you will be invoiced via PayPal.
A non-refundable down payment of $25 reserves your spot. Down payment must be received within one week of signing up. Payment in full will be required by June 1, 2013.
WILL YOU OFFER INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS FOR THOSE WHO WANT ANOTHER OPTION TO LEARN?
Yes, I offer 30 minute SKYPE sign language lessons or tutoring. The rates are $20 per session. No materials are included in this price. Adults and children may request individual sessions. I also welcome families with children who have special learning challenges and need adaptive sign language.
We are sorry that this offer is for US residents only.
What happens when a deftly drafted television program script has lots of lines for actors to say.. but not to voice?
Confused?
Well, if you are a fan of the ABCFAMILY show Switched At Birth you have probably heard the buzz that this coming Monday, March 4th, the episode will have lots of lines for actors.. just in SIGN only!
This all ASL, no voice episode, is groundbreaking, innovative and thrilling for those of us who live, love or work within the deaf community!
Check your local listings about when this episode will air near you.
Video rebroadcast is via the ABCFAMILY website. There is additional content that includes video interviews that are voiced, signed and captioned.
Others have commented on this episode as well, including LATimes, Backstage and National Association for the Deaf.
I hope readers of this blog will join me in watching this show and supporting the pioneer cast and crew involved.
Have a groovy weekend!
I have this dream. That one day I will be flipping through my cable TV guide and there it will be … a list of TV channels 24/7 programming in American Sign Language. Each one with news being delivered in sign language, a full cast of deaf actors or signing characters in animation. These shows will have captions for the hearing, such as was the case in UNIVERSAL SIGNS. I yearn for daily signed content available to anyone to watch on their TV set.
I know that there are already front runners in this endeavor. Some cable networks have slots for deaf content and there is much online TV in sign language. I LOVE DeafTV.com and video channels such as D-PAN (Deaf Performing Arts Network). But, what I am campaigning for are channels equivalent to Telemundo or CCTV where live content streams all day, everyday!.
Why? Well, in the United States American Sign Language is the fourth most commonly used language. (Behind English, Spanish and Chinese). All of these languages and respective cultures are represented with a mainstream TV presence. Where are the ASL channels? The Deaf Community Channels? In addition, many excellent deaf actors seek employment but find this road much more challenging than their hearing counterparts due to limited roles or maybe even understanding. (The same can be true of others with unique challenges.)
So, bravo to ABCFamily and others who put shows with content that demonstrates the deaf culture, sign language and employs deaf actors! Now let’s see if we can expand to 24/7 deaf networks on public / cable TV. I know I am not alone with my dream.
Your respectful thoughts are welcome.
~Louise
Hello All! Starting this Friday, January 4, 2013, at 5pm ET, 2pm PT I will be offering FREE SIGN LANGUAGE lessons via USTREAM. To learn more visit USTREAM HERE –> USTREAM SIGNING FAMILIES EVENT
The lessons will be for novices and those who are experienced signers. Each lesson will be less than 30 minutes with plenty of interaction via the CHAT option on the USTREAM wall.
Hope to see you this FRIDAY!!
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Others way to connect with SIGNING FAMILIES
Visit us online as SIGNING FAMILIES –> www.SigningFamilies.com
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Sign Language is a Useful Tool for Cochlear Implant Recipient’s
by Guest Blogger, Christy Garrett
As a young mom, it was very overwhelming to discover that my daughter was born with a severe to profound hearing loss. She seemed so perfect. However, when she was a month old it seemed like she was responding to typical household noises but after multiple hearing tests the doctors confirmed that she was deaf. This news crushed my heart and I began to blame myself for her imperfection. Then I realized that she was born deaf for a reason.
She began learning American Sign Language around 9 or 10 months old. A speech therapist would come to our house from the Early Intervention Services, a program that is designed to help families who have children with special needs. They provide services free of charge and help find care that they can’t provide for children ages birth to three years old. Also, the Early Intervention Team can refer to the local school district your child who may continue to receive services within a school environment.
Early intervention specialists began teaching my daughter sign language using play therapy. She was able to learn basic sign language for common words such as apple, shoe, mom, dad, and more. I remember the first time that she finally signed back to us, that day was a huge milestone as she was finally able to starting to learn how to communicate!
At the age of 3, I decided that she should have the opportunity to receive a cochlear implant so, that she could communicate orally with her baby brother that was on the way. When she received her cochlear implant, the speech therapist and doctors recommended that we drop the sign language all together. They felt that if she relied on sign language that she wouldn’t take interest in learning how to hear and learn to talk. However, the opposite happened.
Sign language has been a great tool and has benefited her more than I think the doctors and speech therapist realized. She is now considered bilingual and is fluent in two languages.
However, her knowing sign language has been useful on more than one occasion when something on her cochlear implant has failed or she is having a hard time understanding.
I can count on my hands how many times over the years that her implant was damaged or broken and had to be returned. Sometimes it would take a week or more to get it back, without her cochlear implant she was deaf. Sign language allowed her to continue learning without skipping a beat.
Technology is great but it isn’t perfect. She was born deaf and having a cochlear implant has allowed her to join the hearing world; however, it doesn’t change the fact that without the device she is still deaf. So in certain situations her implant has no use:
I asked my daughter what she would recommend for a parent who is contemplating on teaching their child sign language and they have a cochlear implant. She is 16 years old now and didn’t have a say in the decision that I made when she was younger. However, now she is able to share her opinion and is able to help others.
“She said, that knowing sign language has allowed her to learn more vocabulary words and improve her word knowledge.”
Christy Garret, is a wife to her loving husband of 4 years and a mother to three beautiful children – Ages 15, 12, and 18 months old. I am the owner and founder of Uplifting Famiiles. In my spare time, I enjoy blogging, spending time with my family, going to church, and playing games. I can be found on twitter at @upliftingfam
