40 basic communication skills
Communicate with home signs
When a family has a deaf child, gestures help them begin to
communicate with each other. But people need more complete ways
to communicate than simple gestures. Families often make up and use
‘home signs’, hand and body movements that they develop to express
themselves and communicate with their deaf child.
Here is an example:
A Mexican man went
to a village with his
6-year-old deaf son.
When the boy wanted
to go home, he pulled
on his father’s clothes.
Then he used home signs
that he and his family had
made up.
This boy is pulling on his father’s clothes,
pointing and also using home signs (‘riding
the mule’ and ‘please’).
This helps him communicate more than
he could by simply using gestures.
Let’s go (home)
riding the mule
please!
Making up and using home signs is natural for families with children
who are deaf or cannot hear well. Other deaf and hearing people will
probably not understand the signs you have made up, but you can
share them with friends just as you have done with the family.
Your child and your family are probably using gestures and home signs
right now. It makes sense to continue doing this. Even though home
signs do not make up a complete language, they can be very helpful
for expressing simple ideas and are a good start to communicating. To
learn more about teaching your child the sign language that is used
where you live, see Chapter 8.
Making up home signs
Making up signs can be fun. Remember, it will take time and patience.
But there will be big rewards as you and your child begin to understand
each other. The next few pages give ideas for making up signs. You can
change them to fit the gestures, customs, and language of your area. You
and your family will have many ideas for creating your own home signs.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)