Long ago, when I was a child about 2-4 years old, my mother told me that I was in John Tracey Clinic school for speech therapy and learning education as well. I was fascinate with sign language that older people communicate. I just fell in love with sign language and try to communicate with sign language at John Tracey Clinic, when the teacher saw I signed, she slapped my hands and said, "No, no, no, sign language it's bad, you must speak and talk.". I was appalled what the teacher did to me and i was angry and screaming at that time. From what my mom told me that, they put me in a corner to keep me quiet down or until i learned my lesson.
After 4 hours I finally gave in and learn how to talk, remember i was 2 to 4 years at the time. As i grew older and look back what they did to me i was inferiorate with them. I kept sign language the whole time and show to my parent it's my first language of signing not speaking. They felt bad that i dont want to speak, but learned to accept for who i am. Now as a adult i asked my mom, why didnt you learn to sign language when you had the chance when she first found out about me. She wish she had, but she was told by the DOCTOR that it would be the best solution for me to speak.
We must educate all hearing parents or everyone how vital of sign language is very important to youngster even babe they can learn at early age as much as 5 months old they can pick up sign language. Now that my parent saw I signed ASL and felt it's the most beautiful language of all.
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4 comments:
Your story is so important to be unfolded to every where.
Thanks Deb Ann that's true and try to educate everywhere :)
Wow! You touched my heart from your life story! Thanks so much!
When I was 2 and diagnosed as deaf, the doctor told my parents "don't use sign language or she'll never learn to speak" so my mother took the John Tracy Clinic's Correspondence Courses to teach me to speak.
Seem many Deaf people of our "generation" have the same background :)
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