HearMyHands ASL

sign: GARDEN. Time to get planting!

2013-05-08T20:37:00.001-04:00

We had a request for GARDEN for this great spring season.
I don't have a vegetable GARDEN, but I do enjoy my FLOWER GARDEN. So does Little Fingers - getting her fingers on all my FLOWERS!

I can't believe how small Little Fingers is! (this was last spring)

GARDEN: imagine you are sprinkling the seeds into the GARDEN. Your fingers wiggle in that motion and your hands move forward.

sign: STORE. My daughter's first trip to the food STORE

2013-05-05T14:57:00.002-04:00

Today I ventured out to our local food store with Em, my 10 week old! It was successful! She enjoyed looking at all the food and lights. I guess it's time to start venturing other places as well!

Where was your first big outing just you and your baby?

Sign: STORE - move your wrists forward and backwards. Just
make sure you don't move your elbows (and turn the sign into TEACH!)

sign: MONEY. Save $$$ by shopping at the Best Dressed for Less Sales this weekend!

2013-05-03T08:47:00.003-04:00

I'm getting very excited the semi annual sales I started talking about last week with Best Dressed for Less in Burlington, NJ. I have several sign language classes started and in the works for June and throughout the summer ... this sale is helping me get all the materials I need to make these classes extra fun and special. This time they are even stepping it up and are selling Melissa and Doug items brand new (great for Miss Little Fingers)!

Sign: MONEY

I'm going this weekend! Hope you see you there

How sign language can benefit a therapy session. Read our Guest Post from Jessica of Figuratively Speeching

2013-04-29T13:36:00.002-04:00

Today we have a great guest post from Jessica from Figuratively Speeching. I wanted to hear how other SLPs are able to use sign language in their practice and therapy... new perspective.

As an SLP, one of my major goals is to improve a child’s ability to communicate through functional means, which is not only through verbal communication. Functional communication allows children to get their messages across using spoken words, printed words, gestures, sign language or through accessing a communication device.

I incorporate sign language every day with my students, whether they are in Early Intervention, preschool, or are school age. Signs are wonderful to use as visual cues to assist students in staying on task, help with following directions, requesting and when questioning students during activities. They also help build vocabulary in nonverbal or minimally verbal children, as well as provide cues to assist in recall of newly learned vocabulary in older children. Children learn best when multiple senses are engaged and experiencing life. By adding sign language to a child’s communication options, you are giving them the opportunity to hear the word (when it is spoken), see the word (when watching it spoken, as well as signed) and perform the word by signing it. This multi-sensory form of communication helps children acquire vocabulary more quickly and efﬁciently. One of my Life Skills students is working with preschool children, and she is interested in teaching them how to communicate through sign language, so we practice once weekly. When going into homes for Early Intervention, I bring articles about the benefits of sign language. Here is one handout from United Way.

This next one is from Super Duper’s Handy Handouts:

Encouraging Spoken Language Through Signs

Finally, here is a link to a page with more than 90 common signs for children that I share with parents to assist in carryover. What is wonderful about this site is that each sign has its own video, and the instructor explains what to do while she signs:

Most parents are receptive to having their children learn sign. It is amazing to see how easily they pick up sign.

I had the opportunity to use the March ASL packet from Hear My Hands last month (click here). Here is a collage with some of the included activities: I have to say that I love Signing Simon (that adorable boy in the blue shirt)!

The graphics are wonderful and clear, and the packet encompassed vocabulary that I used throughout the month of March. I loved that there were receptive and expressive language tasks. By the end of the month, my students were able to identify and use most of the signs from the packet.

Not only do I teach my students sign, but I also teach basic signs to their teachers. The teachers can then incorporate the signs as visual cues to gain attention, and use as “secret” signals to my students. My students love these signals, because it helps them focus, and provides a nonverbal cue that does not call attention to them. I hope you will try to incorporate some sign language into your speech sessions. It is something different to do, and fun to learn for everyone!

Thank you Jessica. Don't forget to check our her blog (click here) and show her some Facebook love (here!)

Jessica wrote about some hand outs to give to parents .. great ideas! Don't forget to check out our Tips and Games page for some great posts on benefits!

sign: GAME! I'm excited to get more GAMES!

2013-04-24T17:58:00.000-04:00

Today's sign is GAME!

Why?

It's time for The Best Dressed for Less sale! While they have everything known to man for mommies-to-be, newborns all the way to children ages clothes and gear/gadgets, I love getting my therapy and class materials!

Here's one of my many shelves full of games and toys bought at the great semi-annual sale! Their prices are great (which helps me being a traveling therapist to fill my various shelves in my numerous locations). My sign language students also don't mind all the great finds ;)

For all those who live in South Jersey and Philadelphia, you really must check it out! It's next week! May 3-5th in Burlington, NJ and I'm so excited! Here's their site: http://www.bestdressedsale.com/

So what seemed appropriate was the sign GAME. I even got one of my students to sign it as we just finished playing one of the many games I have bought there last fall!

sign: CLEAN (good for Earth Day and it's a new sign for Little Fingers)

2013-04-20T09:34:00.001-04:00

Appropriate for Earth Day Monday!

compliments of MyCuteGraphics.com

sign: CLEAN

(It's also a new sign for Lil. We use this while singing the "Clean Up' song.)

compliments of Sign2Me

**Please note: the signs CLEAN and NICE are the same handshapes, but the movement is different. I always say, think of your hand sweeping the dirty away in the sign CLEAN (so the motion repeats a couple times).

4 Ways We Incorporate Signing with Music...

2013-04-16T11:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we did the sign for MUSIC (click here) ...

Now we talk about FOUR great ways to incorporate sign language with MUSIC

Sing songs before, during, and after familiar everyday routine such as diapering, toileting, eating, sleeping, waking, bathing, and cleaning up. Create your own songs or borrow from popular CD’s.
Add signs to favorite songs such as "Happy and You Know It" (emotions), "Old MacDonald" (animals), and so on ...
Play instruments and learn GO, STOP, LOUD, SOFT, FAST, SLOW
Play the 'freeze' (or 'Red Light') game while music plays in the background and encourage movement and signs like DANCE, JUMP, RUN, WALK, and then of course STOP and GO for the music.

Signing with music can be lots of fun

How do you sign with music?

sign: MUSIC (Little Fingers' next new sign)

2013-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Little Fingers likes to bang on her new drum set she got for her birthday. She's always liked jammin' out on her piano keyboard and Elmo guitar. Couple weeks ago, it dawned on me that I didn't teach her the sign for MUSIC!

Next up - the sign for MUSIC!

sign: SHORTS - it's hot here!

2013-04-10T17:12:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day of true SHORTS weather! Record highs here in New Jersey! What about where you live?

Miss Little Fingers even played in the sprinkler today!

sign: BIG (for tomorrow's BIG day)

2013-04-05T08:44:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow's the BIG day for Miss Little Fingers. We're finally celebrating her birthday (it was last month - yikes! The new baby impeded on those plans a little but we're still going to celebrate!).

Sign: BIG

Last year I talked a lot about different birthday signs such as
CELEBRATION
BIRTHDAY (with a few different variations)
PLANNING
EXCITED
Go check them out! :)

sign: DUCK .. Little Fingers' newest sign

2013-04-01T19:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday (on Easter), Little Fingers received a Duck stuffed animal. She knew the word 'duck,' which I accredit all of her books, but my husband and I were just talking about how we need to keep up with her signs as we started slacking with the new baby here the past 4 weeks. We've been a little pre-occupied you could say! So I looked at it as the perfect opportunity, signed DUCK and Ta-Da! She signed DUCK and remembered the sign a few minutes later! Score! Another sign down :)

Sign: DUCK

What did the Easter bunny bring your children? (Mom mom's Easter bunny gave her the DUCK)

sign: EGG as in Easter EGG

2013-03-27T13:38:00.000-04:00

compliments of clipartstand.com

The past two days we've been talking about Easter signs ..
We have BUNNY, HIDE and Now EGG!

It always reminds me of cracking the EGG.

We're hoping to decorate our EGGS Friday ... I'll definitely let you know how that goes (very afraid of the large mess with our just-two-year old!)

sign: HIDE as in HIDE the Easter eggs!

2013-03-26T16:03:00.001-04:00

Today's Easter related sign is ...

Goes perfectly with yesterday's sign BUNNY! The Easter BUNNY HIDES the eggs! ... guess what tomorrow's sign might be!?

Questions I get about our Adult Signing Classes

2013-03-26T11:37:00.003-04:00

I thought this topic was appropriate ...

Questions I Get About Our Adult Signing Classes

I find it appropriate because there's no cookie-cutter way that individuals teach an informal Intro to Conversational Sign Class... It's all very different! I say that because maybe one class just focuses on the ABCs and maybe another class assumes that the ABCs are known and doesn't even address it! While lastly, another class just continues to teach categorically (e.g. colors, people, food) and forgets to incorporate it's functionality!

So .. I don't want to give our class away completely but I want to say, yes you will learn your ABCs. Why? Because handshapes have changed over time (just like the English language has changes!) and also, I'm a perfectionist and why not make sure we're all signing them correctly!?

We also learn simple conversations as if you were to meet someone new, what would you say!? (psst - I'll give you a hint!)

Hi, How are you?
I'm good. What's your name?
My name is Kristy. What's your name?
My name is Tom. Where do you live?

Etc.! and guess what? - that's just lesson one! Seems like a little, but if you don't feel 100% confident to doing all of that fluently then this is the class for you!

And we just grow from there. Each week we add some more questions/sentences. Of course, there's no pressure. But we do have fun. We do apply what with learn. And most importantly we do Sign! Sign Sign and SIGN!

Can't wait to sign with you soon! (Here's the class info - - click here -- and here's the registration form! -- click here-- )

Sign: BUNNY for Easter BUNNY

2013-03-25T14:35:00.000-04:00

Signing Simon's been busy! Check him out signing BUNNY (or RABBIT)

Who had the chance of seeing the Easter BUNNY? We didn't make it yet but we're still trying to get there!

We're working on a quick coloring page you'll be able to find on TPT
(here's a preview! Want it? comment your email below or email us!)

sign: AGAIN

2013-03-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

Sign of the Day...

AGAIN

sign complements of Sign2Me

I chose AGAIN because it's a new concept I'm teaching my daughter. The first concept she learned was MORE; she picked that up just fine. But to make sure over generalization does not happen (meaning she doesn't use the sign too much when she could learn other great concepts) - we're moving onto AGAIN when appropriate.

So when she wants me to swing her in circles in the living room - she signs and says AGAIN. :) When she wants more food - then clearly she signs MORE!

When do you use AGAIN versus MORE?

HAPPY SPRING (sign: SPRING)

2013-03-20T08:58:00.005-04:00

HAPPY SPRING!

sign compliments of Sign2Me

Let's get the flowers blooming; I'm ready! Very cold here but we're ready for some good weather!

While we're working on new neat activities for SPRING, but in the meantime check out some activities from last year!

- Easter Bunny ASL coloring page

- Easter Word scramble in ASL

Guest post: Meet Shea & see her family's approach to successful early communication... ASL!

2013-03-18T14:32:00.000-04:00

Today we have another guest blog post from Beth, Shea's mommy, from the new blog Signing with Shea. Read about young Shea's journey of learning sign language and why her parents decided to use ASL as her mode of communication. Watch their daily videos of Shea's new sign language development!

My husband and I are hearing. Our daughter, Shea, was born deaf. We've taken many steps to ensure communication between the three of us as a family, including learning ASL and teaching our daughter. We are by no means fluent....we are learning as we go. Every day is a challenge; and every day is a blessing.

Shea at the farm signing TRAIN to daddy during the ride.

One day while Shea & I were doing our weekly grocery shopping, I realized how interested everyone was in "talking" to Shea. As soon as people find out that she's Deaf (usually because they are watching us sign), they want to know how to tell her this or how to sign that. Shea is very outgoing and just naturally draws people to her. I thought that this would be a great way to teach not just ourselves, but everyone at least a little sign language! So, Signing with Shea was born.

We started out on Facebook posting a new sign daily, along with a description, for people to learn. Basically we thought this would be helpful to our family and friends in learning to sign. Little did we realize the wonderful response we would have from complete strangers, both hearing and Deaf. What started out as a handful of "fans" has now grown to over 250! Along the way, many people have shared their own stories with us, and many more have asked how we do it. How do we keep our sanity through having a toddler who screams at the top of her lungs occasionally because she does not know what it means to be loud. How do we make time to learn all the new signs that we need to learn? How do we get information and how do we know if we're making the right decisions for Shea? So, I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog, and a website.

On our blog, we write openly and honestly about issues we've faced, emotions we've dealt with and decisions we've made. My thinking was that even if this helps one family to know that they are not alone in raising a Deaf child to grow up and be a healthy, happy, well-adjusted member of society, then we've done a good thing. We've learned that deafness is approached as something that "must" be fixed.....and we, personally don't feel that our daughter needs "fixing"....and we want other parents to know, too, that their child is not broken just because he/she is deaf. So, in many ways it is also cathartic for me to be able to write about all the things we've faced and overcome in the past and all the trials and tribulations yet to come.

We created the website as a way to try to put resources together in one spot where people can go to find information, because I know that when we were first informed that Shea was Deaf, we had no idea what to do or where to go for help. This is still in the very beginning phases - the website hasn't even been live for 2 weeks yet - but we plan on putting a video ASL dictionary on the site at some point in the not-too-distant future. The site will serve as a "jumping off" point - as place to start - for people who wish to learn more about ASL, Deafness, Deaf Culture and more. From the site, visitors will be able to contact us directly, link to informational websites, view ASL videos and more. It's very important to know that, no matter what you are facing in life, someone else has walked before you, and yet more will walk behind....be sure to follow carefully and where you can tread safest for your family, and lead as best you can for those that come after you.

Many thanks to Kristy for asking me to do a guest blog. Thanks for all your support, as well.

Thank you Beth. I look forward to reading more about Shea and your family's journey through her communication development and language growth! Go check out her blog at http://www.signingwithshea.com/ and her Facebook page!

"I Have Who Has" ASL FREE Game!

2013-03-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

I created a quick cute freebie to be used in a classroom or small group.

I Have, Who Has ...

It's a great way to learn your sign language alphabet, get those fingers moving, and work on maintaining attention and eye contact!

You can play as a classroom activity or in a small group with modifications. Your choice! Either way, fun had by all!

Go get it on TeachersPayingTeachers! Don't have that? Email me or comment below! I would love to hear from you - also love to hear how you used this in the classroom, home, or therapy!

sign: GOLD (plus St. Patty's ASL packet giveaway!)

2013-03-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

sign: GOLD

Yesterday was RAINBOW (here), today's sign is the goodies at the end of the RAINBOW... pot of GOLD!

Best part - comment below to possibly win a copy of the St Patty's ASL Packet (need a preview? click here!)

sign: RAINBOW (plus St Patty's ASL Packet giveaway!)

2013-03-14T14:59:00.000-04:00

sign: RAINBOW

I thought RAINBOW was appropriate for St. Patty's Day coming up :)
And what do you find at the end of the RAINBOW? (that sign tomorrow!)
Best part! ... comment below and win a chance to get your hands on a free St Patty's ASL packet (one winner today, one winner with tomorrow's sign!) (click here to see the preview)

Guest Post: Working with Hearing Impaired Students with AVT

2013-03-12T10:24:00.003-04:00

Today we have a guest post from Karen Parden, MS, CCC-SLP from The Speech Umbrella about her experiences Working with Hearing Impaired students/ Training in Auditory-Verbal Therapy... (Thanks Karen!)

Working with children with hearing loss is a passion of mine. I am a speech language pathologist, but have always had an interest in audiology. My grandmother and cousin have cholesteatoma (Cholesteatoma is a destructive and expanding growth in the middle ear and/or mastoid process.) so I do have a history of hearing loss in my family. I have not always worked with children with hearing loss. In fact, it has only been in the last four years that I have begun this journey. I attended a workshop provided by the Alabama Ear Institute in the spring of 2008 that sparked my interest in Auditory Verbal Therapy. After that I attended all the trainings I could get my hands on. The philosophy behind AVT is that parents must participate in sessions with the child and provide appropriate carry-over at home, the child should have contact and communication with speaking peers, and the child will need abundant opportunities to learn and practice speech communication skills in all aspects of life (Ling 1989). During these trainings, I learned the basics of Auditory Verbal Therapy to use with my hearing impaired students. The following are the AVT techniques I use in therapy with them everyday:

Create a listening environment (FM system, etc.)
Use of auditory feedback mechanism for speech imitation (self correcting)
Development speech, language, audition, cognition, and communication concurrently
Modify acoustic information to highlight a particular feature
Hand cue
Acoustic highlighting (sounds, words, phrases)
Lowlighting (the vowel)
Move close and soften voice
Use of parentheses, suprasegmentals (use at any age)
Work on “best hearing” side/positioning
Enhance listening by placing sound source near ear
Direct child’s attention to auditory information before showing toy/action
Pause time – time to process
Expectant look
Auditory-visual-auditory presentation (“Put back into hearing”)
Develop confidence in listening abilities
Assess auditory skills by integrating directions into natural routines and experiences rather than making them task oriented
Ensure that therapy is diagnostic
Work from the known to the unknown, audible to less audible
Give the child a reason to listen/communicate

Taken from Alabama Ear Institute handout “Cheat Sheet: Auditory-Verbal Techniques and Strategies”

I absolutely love using AVT with my hearing impaired students. I love having the parents involved and knowing what to do at home. The progress has been phenomenal in my opinion and the statistics prove that fact. I have seen children with cochlear implants who have had consistent AVT and those who have not had consistent AVT. The differences between these groups are significant in their speech communication and auditory comprehension. AVT must be consistent to be successful. Listening is a way of life, not a subject that is taught. I have had one student who I could not use AVT with. He had Goldenhar Syndrome and was born with no auditory nerves. We used total communication with him. I do use AVT with all of my hearing impaired students who have cochlear implants or hearing aids.

Picture compliments of BoysTown

Thank you Karen for this great blog post. Go show Karen some love! She's actually having a great St Patty's giveaway right now on her site ! Go check it out here! THANK YOU Karen! Anyone else work with individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing? Let us know!

picture compliments of Label&Learn

Don't forget to check out last week's Guest Blog Post from Katie at PlayingWithWords365 here! Check out her perspective on her family's success using sign language!

sign: SHOES & PANTS - success!

2013-03-11T13:31:00.002-04:00

My daughter is loving the fact that she can put on her own SHOES now and is getting really close to putting her PANTS on herself too! Coat and Hat already a success ... soon potty training! Yah!

compliments of Sign2Me

What gave you the clue your little was ready for Potty Training? Little Fingers will tell us she went potty, & she sometimes asks to sit on the potty ... I figured they are good indicators ;)

Guest post from Katie at PWW365. Hear her perspective on sign language benefits!

2013-03-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today we have a great guest post from Katie from Playing With Words 365 on her thoughts on using sign language with her children. Our blogs met each other about a year ago and we realized we had the same interests in sign language!

In graduate school (for communication sciences and disorders), I did a research paper on the benefits of signing to hearing babies. What I found during that time was pretty amazing (I outlined the many benefits of signing to hearing babies in 9 Reasons to Teach Sign Language to Your {Hearing} Infant or Toddler on my blog.) I knew that I would be signing to my own children whenever I was blessed with them. Fast forward a few years, and there I was, a mommy to my first child, my daughter E. I started signing to her around 8-9 months here and there. By 12 months we were signing a great deal more and she was starting to sign back! She pretty much stuck to signs that served her functions like more, milk, and eat. But signing really helped her communicate her needs to us before she had the ability to do so well verbally. As she started to talk more and more, she slowly stopped signing and there was a natural end to her use of signs.

(My daughter signing "more" at almost three)

Then I had my son. I was more motivated than ever to sign to him, and started signing with him around 7-8 months old. At age two, my daughter became fascinated with signing, so I started teaching the signs to her as well. We signed during meal times, story time, bath time, and watched one Baby Signing Time video each day to help learn more signs and practice. Before we knew it, my son Ev was signing up a storm! Unlike my daughter who used the signs in a very get-what-I-want way, Ev loved to sign to interact with us and show us things of interest. He would sit and "read" Brown Bear, Brown Bear to himself, as he signed the names of all the animals.

(My son signing "fish")

Ev picked up signing quickly and efficiently and we ended up being extra thankful for sign. Why? Because, as ironic as it is, his speech was developing a little on the slow side. Ev has always been an excellent communicator, but his speech skills have taken a bit longer to develop than his older sister's. It is not a wives' tale that boy's can develop a bit slower than girls, but it has been interesting for me, as a speech pathologist, to witness this personally. Anyway, because we were signing to him, Ev always had a way to communicate to us. He was able to get his needs met and share his interests with us without frustration as his motor skills developed and his speech slowly improved. Had we not been signing, I am afraid things could have been very different. Now here we are, a year later, and my two year old son is now using speech as his primary mode of communication.

As with my daughter, he naturally started signing less as he began speaking more and now he rarely signs. Sometimes I will sign something and he will sign it back but mostly he "uses his words" so to speak. I am thankful that we used sign with him, and we are planning to sign to our next child, due this summer, as well. You can read HERE many of the posts I have written about signing to hearing children, including how to pick the signs to use with your children, tips on weaving it into daily activities, and more!

Katie is a a mom to two little ones, E (4) and Ev (2) and a licensed and credentialed pediatric speech-language pathologist (when she finds the time). She blogs over at Playing With Words 365, sharing information about speech and language development, intervention strategies, therapy ideas and tips, and shares a little about her family and their life too. You can follow along on Facebook or Pinterest for more speech and language ideas and tips.

Do you have a story about starting sign language with your little ones or maybe even your bigger ones (they don't have to be young!). I'd love to hear about it!

sign: TIRED. New Baby = New Kind of TIRED

2013-03-05T13:43:00.000-05:00

New baby means new schedule means Mommy's TIRED!

Little Fingers loves getting her fingers on new baby and signs CRY when she cries (*cute*). A more update coming soon. Baby girl is a week old today!