Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)
How we show communication in this book
We show communication in 3 different ways in this book: speaking, thinking, and
signing (using the hands and body to communicate in sign language).
When people speak
we show it like this.
Adam,
come
here!
When people think
we show it like this.
I wonder
where Adam
went...
When people sign
we show it like this.
Adam is in
the kitchen.
The rounded box that
contains the words has
a ‘tail’ that points to the
speaker’s head.
The ‘cloud’ that contains
the words has circles that
point to the person’s head.
The box that contains
the words has a line that
points to a person’s hands.
There are many sign languages
There are probably as many signed languages in the world as there are
spoken languages. Signed languages are as old as history. They are not usually new
languages recently invented. In many countries there is a national sign language
for official use. Many countries also have regional sign languages.
Most of the pictures in this book show signs in American Sign Language because
this book was written in the United States. (Some of the signs are in Mexican Sign
Language or other national sign languages.) If you do not live in the United States,
American Sign Language is not your sign language, and the deaf people in your
community may not use or understand American Sign Language.
For example, although the spoken language in the United States, England, and
Australia is the same, the sign language in each country is different.
In the United States people use American Sign Language, in England
people use British Sign Language, and in Australia people use
Australian Sign Language.
In addition, many of the signs in our pictures are made-up signs, or
are real signs but not the signs that match the words in the text. They
are simply shown to give the idea of using sign language.
So please do not copy the signs in this book thinking you are learning
sign language. If you do, the deaf people in your area may not
understand you. Try to learn and use your own country’s national sign
language. Deaf people who sign are usually the best teachers.