Imagine communicating with a group of people whose major means of communication is sign language (ASL), because you have to look at every hand gesture and facial expression they use to understand what they are saying, your complete focus and attention will be on them and nothing else. Do people using ASL look away from … Read more
No parent dreams of having a child or children with language delays. We all hope to have ‘perfect’ babies. But whoever said kids with language delays are imperfect? They aren’t in the least. Sometimes, language delays are like speed bumps on the road, you wish they weren’t there in the first place, but with time … Read more
Let’s imagine you had your first and second child babbling at about the same time as they were growing. Then they also followed the ‘normal’ speech milestone you are familiar with (according to The American Academy of Pediatrics, one of such normal language indicators/milestones is having your baby be able to string two to three-word … Read more
There is no denying that a person can’t navigate life without social-emotional skills. We use these skills every day to make sense of the world around us. You might be asking what social-emotional skills are and if you have them. Social-emotional skills are skills humans use to interact with each other and the world around … Read more
There is a chance that the thought of culture wakes up an image of people of different people of different races, nationalities, and ethnic groups. It is easy to use the word culture for many years in the right context but lose sight of the actual definition of the word. Once culture is mentioned, it … Read more
Join me for a second to imagine two people having to share an airport cab. While they understand the assignment, they run into one little issue: both of them don’t understand the other’s language. So, what can they do? They can call out for an interpreter, assuming someone will be willing to help or they … Read more
Children who cannot express themselves are automatically more vulnerable than those who can. The implications of self-expression make it vital to the development of children. It plays a major role in growing physically and emotionally mature adults. Baby Sign Language can help parents and caregivers promote self-expression in children. Join me as we explore how … Read more
One of the first joys parents experience while raising kids, especially between 4 months to a year is watching their toddlers attempt to communicate with sounds. It’s like their hearts are going to explode with such much joy and happiness. That’s why in some cases, you see these parents employ a lot of effort on … Read more
Is it possible for all children with special needs to learn baby sign language? The answer is no. Some cases of special needs make it impossible to learn sign language. For example, children with severe muscular dystrophy from birth may find it difficult to move their hands and because sign language requires mostly hand and … Read more
Have you ever watched an Olympic 100-meter sprint? If you have, then you know how much a split second is. It is so important that athletes are disqualified for leaving their starting blocks a fraction of a second before the starting gun is fired. Learning for children is a bit like an Olympic sprint. A … Read more
Have you ever admired the interaction between twin babies? They can look so cute with their smiles, and matching outfits. However, being a good parent of multiple can be an uphill battle. The amount of time that twins or triplets will take from their parents is staggering. Many parents have admitted to needing help from … Read more
For every human, education begins from the womb into adulthood. This implies that learning, the process of acquiring new knowledge and the ability to interact with others and one’s environment, is a lifetime activity. For children below ages one to eight, the various means by which they gather new information and interact with those around … Read more
Wouldn’t it be remarkable if you could hear your baby’s thoughts? I know I would love such a superpower. Communication between parents and preverbal children is mostly guesswork. There are no clear cues for adults to follow when communicating with preverbal kids. The desire to communicate with children was the driving force for the discovery … Read more
No parent will enjoy their time in the park when one of their kids is throwing tantrums. No one will enjoy a quiet afternoon with a baby when that baby is frustrated and struggling to communicate that frustration. I am certain that frustrations and tantrums can cripple even the most stoic of people and all … Read more
The question of who should learn American Sign Language (ASL) has a simple answer. The answer is EVERYONE because ASL helps individuals to communicate and connect with a wide range of people. It is a useful tool that promotes inclusivity and it is not subject to only one profession. This article gives a simple ASL … Read more
Learning a new language, in this case sign language (ASL) is synonymous with embarking on a trip to an unknown territory. How long it will take depends on different factors, some of these factors are- the means of transport (language tool), the pace/speed, and the interest of the individual who is embarking on this journey … Read more
You might want to learn ASL as your first attempt at being multilingual, as a hobby, as a challenge, or nobly to aid your communication with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, whatever reasons you might have, it shouldn’t stop you from understanding the multi-dimensional benefits of learning American Sign Language (ASL). Let’s see what the ten … Read more
Imagine sitting at a train station waiting for your train to arrive. There is an announcement over the public announcement system telling the passengers that the train will be ten minutes late. The person sitting on your left turns to you and uses gestures to ask what was announced. It immediately hits you that your … Read more
Have you picked a new interest in learning ASL? Perhaps your interest could be because you recently met deaf or hard of hearing individual(s) and you struggled to communicate with them or you got sensitized on the deaf community/ deaf culture and you would want to go a step further than being aware of being … Read more
In these modern times, social media has made it easy to find kids (toddlers) who speak fluently and sometimes above their age but the question is; how many of these toddlers can read and write? While most children learn how to read at age 6, their reading and writing foundation actually begins earlier than that. … Read more
