Sign-Names

A sign-name is created by using the manual alphabet handshape for the first letter of a person’s name and creating movement with that signed letter. Sometimes the movement is based on some identifying feature of the person. For example, I knew a man who had a prominant grey streak in his hair. The sign for his name incorporated the signed letter "S" (for "Shawn") and a sweeping motion was made with the "S" shape at the side of his hair (imagine a combing motion). It is not necessary to always make a sign-name associated with personal traits, but it can help you remember what the person’s sign name is.

　

　

My own mother, who is Deaf, created my name using the "A" hand-shape (Andrea) and moving it from left to right. She explained that her reason for choosing an "A" name was because as a newborn, my hands were always in a fisted "A" shape. My sister also received an "A" name (Alissa) for the same reason. Little did my mother know that all newborns’ hands are held in a fisted position until they are about 4 months old. I guess if she went on to have other children there would have been a lot of "A" names!

Do I need to take an A.S.L. class?

Often, when parents are encouraged to sign with their child, they automatically think that they need to go out and sign up for a formal sign-language class.  My answer to them...."Don't waste your time and money!"  While taking a formal class is a great idea if you plan to emerse yourself in the Deaf community, it would not be worthwhile if you only plan to use your skills for communicating with a hearing child who has autism.  Since you will only be starting out by teaching your child one sign at a time, don't fret about acquiring a big sign vocabulary.  Just learn each new sign as you are introducing them to your child with autism.  When first starting out, you'll be modifying many of the signs to meet the needs of your learner, anyway.  Why spend an hour or more each week in a class learning to sign "Do you prefer beer or wine?"  when it is very unlikely that you will ever be teaching your child those words?  Buy or borrow a good ASL dictionary, access an on-line sign-language resource, and purchase Getting Started with Signed-Communication for Children with Autism.  No classes required.  There!  I just saved you a lot of time and effort. 

Savant Syndrome

We have always known that Hannah is exceptionally smart and that she has a memory for detail like no other.  A few months ago, we discovered that she isn't only very bright, she actually has savant syndrome.  Like Kim Peek, the person who the character "Rain Man" was based on, Hannah has the amazing ability to memorize huge amounts of information and performs calendar calculations faster than I can scroll my blackberry.  I knew she liked to talk about dates, but I had no idea that her skills went beyond just memorizing favourite events.  One day, as we were chatting, Hannah exclaimed "I hate it when March 27th is on a Thursday like in 1997, 2003, and 2008.  I prefer when it falls on a Tuesday like in 2001, and 2007!"  Out of curiosity, I grabbed my blackberry to see if Hannah was correct about what days of the week those particular dates fell on.  She was right!  Surely she just memorized those particular dates, I thought.  So I gave her a little quiz....I started asking her random dates from the past and future and each and every time she was able to (at lightening speed) tell me what the day of the week was!  She could even advise me of how many time each date falls on a given day of the week.  For example, how many times May 26th falls on a Saturday.....December 25th falls on a Sunday... etc.....or "What date is the 3rd Monday in 2028?"  It doesn't stop there.....Hannah can identify the copyright date of every book, DVD, CD, television show, movie, that she has ever laid eyes on.  She can name the cast, song titles, plot, running time, original release date  FOR EVERYTHING.  She can even tell me very specific details of each day of most of her life....what she ate for breakfast on June 11th, 1999....how many times she went to the doctor in 2003...the day she met everyone she knows.....the list of things she knows doesn't end.
I continue to be amazed every day when I discover something else that Hannah has stored in her mind.  She is truely remarkable. Now if I could only bottle it and sell it on Ebay.... :0)

It's that time of year again....

....when Hannah becomes focused on all things "HOLIDAY"....

We are fully engaged in all things "Halloween", with pumpkins, leaves, costumes, and the constant whirl

of craft-making.  The other day I found Hannah in the basement, with her foot emersed fully in a tub of white paint while exclaiming "I'm making some ghosts!!"  She sure was.  I'm just glad it was white paint...if it were red, it would have looked like a crime scene. 

Done!

I'm finally finished!  My book, Getting Started with Signed Communication for Children with Autism,  is offically in print.  I've been slaving over it for quite some time now, but I never realized just how difficult it would be to put it out there for the world to see.  I never quite "got it" when I would hear other writers or artists say that they had difficulty releasing their creation for others to look at..but now...I totally get it.  I really hope that what I've written on the pages will offer some hope and encouragement to other parents out there who may be struggling to help their child with autism learn to speak.  I only wish that I had been offered a similar resource when my own daughter was diagnosed 12 years ago...

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1662288