Over time, human interactions have demonstrated that words aren’t always enough to convey how one feels, and how one feels has a significant role to play in helping one to interact properly with others. Where words fail, ASL can come in.
ASL goes where words can’t go. It shapes the process of emotional development, a lifelong process in which man, as a social and emotional being, learns to express his or her emotions to others and in diverse situations. This sign language serves as the major language that the deaf and hard-of-hearing, in particular, can use to interpret their experiences and the world around them. Let’s examine why emotional development is so crucial to mankind, and how ASL can support children’s emotional development.
The Emotions Children Use to Interpret the World
Children Between the Age Zero to Two Years
Between the ages of zero and three, children can effectively express the main emotions of discomfort brought on by hunger or itch from wetting themselves, through cries. Most of the time, children this age respond emotionally based on their bodily demands. They attempt to convey their contentment after eating by tranquil sleep, silence, or cheerful baby coos. They can also display a sense of surprise by jerking or pupping their eyes uncontrollably. Simple ASL signs when introduced at this age enable caregivers to determine what the toddlers are feeling or trying to express.
Children Between the Age Three to Five Years
At this stage, children are already able to express their wants or preferences by using the preferences of the adults around them. Social referencing is the term used to describe when a child’s emotional outward manifestation is influenced by the tastes of the adults around them.
Apart from that, they can show fits of anger by throwing tantrums, and since a lot of their peers are introduced to them at this age, they start to exhibit affection for one another, sometimes by giving embraces during or after play times.
Children Between Age Five and Above
At this age range, children become more self-aware. They begin to display a sense of shyness or shame as a result of this, and also they start to display bits of emotional control, refraining from expressing their true emotions. Making children begin to understand they are loved and sufficient just the way they are is among the effective approaches to communicating with children in this age range.
Certain Skills that Grow From Strong Emotional Development
ASL helps children develop the following skills that are signs of strong emotional development.
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Self Awareness:
Self-awareness is the capacity to recognize and value one’s individuality while surrounded by others. It implies that they are aware of who they are in terms of the roles they perform in various facets of life and in terms of their interpersonal relationship. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit from ASL in that it provides them the confidence to embrace their uniqueness in the eyes of society’s majority and helps them utilize it to become creative in their self-expression.
Social Awareness:
After being self-aware, a child who is on a steady path of developing emotionally can do so by being socially aware as well. Understanding how the world around you functions is an indicator of social awareness. Children who are unable to accomplish this may struggle to form good relationships with their peers from other backgrounds and cultures and may exhibit discrimination rather than empathy. Their distorted perceptions may also prevent them from engaging in constructive disagreements with others.
ASL is a blending of various cultures, it is not a standalone sign language. It can enable a child to appropriately engage with his environment. Children who can understand ASL are likely to comprehend and have empathy for the deaf communities around them, which is a good sign of social awareness as earlier mentioned.
Emotional Regulation
ASL could be a child’s option if they are unable to verbally communicate their rage and frustration due to possible hearing loss or deafness. Where mere words might fall short for a hearing child, face and body movements can be used to convey feelings more effectively.
A component of emotional regulation is being able to control one’s emotions when speaking to others so that communication is not hampered in any manner, through ASL, this can be achieved.
Self Motivation
A self-motivated child can work independently and collaboratively without needing constant coercion or indulgence. These kinds of children just need to know why they should be doing a particular thing at a certain time. Can ASL encourage this characteristic in a child? Yes. If a child is learning ASL, it is also possible to help them comprehend the value of self-reliance alongside teamwork that sign language encourages.
Why Children Should be Made to Express Themselves and Understand Emotions
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From understanding the skills that are a product of emotional development, children need to express themselves and understand the various emotions that they feel at different times as they grow. The reasons for this are:
- Children’s imaginations are allowed to strive when they find a safe environment to express themselves.
- Children who are allowed to express themselves find it simpler to accept the dynamics of the outside world because they recognize that others are just as unique as they are. They become more optimistic as a result of this.
- Children who can effectively express their opinions and feelings are less likely to be bullied. They are also better able to avoid potentially dangerous circumstances because of their increased self-confidence.
Conclusion
There is no question as to why it is important to allow children the means to express themselves and understand emotions. Even though there are many ways to do this, knowing ASL is one of the useful tools. In addition to being self-assured now, your child will become a confident adult who is socially aware and empathetic.
Take advantage of SignBee Academy’s ASL learning resources to start teaching your child ASL.
Thumbnail Photo Credit to: Image by user2104819 on Freepik
