Deaf ASL Teacher

Max will stream the film Sinners along with Black American Sign Language this Friday, July 4 https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/sinners-black-american-sign-language-basl-debuts-july-4-us-max

https://www.alliancetheatre.org/events/sign-interpreted-performance-milo-imagines-the-world

Sign Interpreted Performance: MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD | Alliance Theatre Alliance Theatre strives to ensure that all performances and events are accessible to all of our patrons. Find more information on accessibility.

Simple and sweet introduction to deaf kids and sign language.

Sesame Street - The Sign Language ABCs While Elmo sings the ABC song, his friend Mathis signs the alphabets using American Sign Language.

When people hear my deaf son’s speech on here they tend to think things like this 👇 💭Maybe she focused too much on sign 💭If she’d just worked on his listening and speaking more, he would have “better” speech 💭 He must “rely” on a signed language because he’s had too much of it early on 💭 He’s going to be behind his peers now And the list goes on 🙄 I know they think this because of the “insightful” messages I get every time I post a video of him speaking 🫠 But here’s the facts 👇 ➡️ We have made an intentional focus on both spoken and signed language from the very beginning. ➡️ He has had regular speech therapy since 10 months of age. ➡️ He has worn devices consistently since he was 7 weeks of age ➡️I’m a native speaker of English, as is my husband and other son. ➡️I’m a non-native signer, and my husband and son are still learning Auslan as a second language. Lets make something clear 🔥⬇️ The reason my deaf son’s first language is a signed language, is not because “we didn’t focus enough on speech” or “focused too much on sign”. It’s because he has not been able to consistently access spoken English at a level required to develop speech. Regardless of the technology, the therapy and the audist promises thrown his way 🙄 THIS is why the inclusion of signed languages in EVERY deaf and hard of hearing child’s intervention plan is so critical ❤️ Because more often than not, devices are NOT enough to ensure a strong, rich language foundation for these kids. Even with all the guarantees and promises in the world 🌎 Devices are not the “solution” to language deprivation. Full access to a natural language from birth is the solution to language deprivation. And PS: The whole “signing hinders speech development” theory just isn’t a thing nor is it how language works at a fundamental or neurological level 🤷🏻‍♀️ #LanguageDeprivation #SpeechDevelopment #SignLanguage #Auslan #SignedLanguages

Hello! If you are seeing this, it is because you are following Deaf ASL Teacher. That is me. My name is Sandy. I am profoundly deaf and do not use hearing aids. I currently live and work in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan.

I am at heart a teacher. I started this page several years ago as a way for sign language learners that I meet “in the wild” to find and keep in touch with me if they so desire to.

Eventually, after some debate, both internally and with my amazing family and friends who believed in me more than I did, I taught a couple ASL classes (special shout out to LEAD Homeschool). That led to more ASL classes for hearing learners.

Fast forward to today. I wear a few hats, as we in Early Intervention often say. I retired from teaching informal ASL classes to focus on the current role of my life: helping families of deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to the age of five acquire languages to communicate with deaf people (starting with their child). There’s more to it than that, but that’s the relevant and better-known part. I do this under contract with two states’ Departments of Education, with a branded deaf mentor curriculum. 2025 is my fifth year as a SKI HI Deaf Mentor.

While being a Deaf Mentor, I was also invited to join a bilingual deaf and hard of hearing toddler learning program run by the office of GA state schools. At first, I joined part-time facilitating/leading the toddler program’s Family Support Group classes twice a week. A little bit after, I gratefully and excitedly added on the position of Toddler Twos paraprofessional.

I absolutely love working with our little kiddos and seeing the light in their eyes shine brighter and their little hands, mouths, ears, faces, and bodies dance clearer everyday. These kids are part of all of our future.

I also wear a couple smaller hats; I guess you could call them hair clips. I’m a Shared Reading Project mentor (15 Principles of Reading to/with Deaf Children), a Snapshots guide (Days in the Lives of an enormous variety of Deaf people), and a Deaf Mentor trainer. I’m also a proud honorary aunt to a growing number of D&HH children. I have so many high school graduations to attend starting in about 10-12 years!!

Tl;Dr Hello! This is me! If you’re smiling, you’re in the right place. I hope you don’t, but if you need it, there’s a “Unfollow” button somewhere here that will stop my posts from appearing for you. If you’re not already part of this page and would like to see more of us, please find the “Follow” button!

While we’re here, go ahead and ask questions, share comments, say hello! Where are you from? Who are you? Why are you here?

Yours in sign,
Sandy

This article about Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act came across our desk. We are sharing it here because it has a lot of great information.

https://dredf.org/protect-504/