Feature article

Sign language helps children connect

Article and pictures by Tammy Lane
April 8, 2008

  Matthew sat on the floor among his classmates, nearly indistinguishable as they sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” His wheelchair parked near the door, he blended in with the sea of red T-shirts.
  Finding similarities instead of differences is important for all the kids, said Amy Harshbarger, whose 6-year-old son has cerebral palsy, impaired vision and high-frequency hearing loss.
  To better include Matthew, the students in Ashley Hammonds’ K-1 class at Rosa Parks Elementary School have learned sign language for a few of their favorite songs.
  “It helps them to feel more comfortable with him,” said Harshbarger, whose family has been signing words like “bed” and “brush teeth” at home.
  Carlin Robbins, an itinerant teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students in Fayette County for the past five years, comes to Rosa Parks on Wednesday mornings to work with Matthew’s class. She has taught the students to sign basic words, the alphabet and school-related terms.
  “Ms. Hammonds and I collaborate on the core content and what vocabulary words the students will be using in their lessons, and I teach the entire class how to sign those words,” Robbins said. “We have had lessons ranging from nocturnal animals to the solar system. Their retention of signs is phenomenal!”
  The children also have begun to notice signing in other settings, such as a Super Bowl pre-game commercial on television.
  “It’s really opened their eyes to a different form of communication,” Hammonds said.
   Now, if Matthew cannot understand what his friends are saying even with his hearing aid, they try to use sign language.
  “It’s been a great thing. The kids have gotten to interact with him more,” Hammonds said. “It has been amazing to watch them. They’ve really bonded with Matthew.”

     Printer friendly view