American Sign Language

ABC's and Survival Signs

Student Teaching WorkshopClinical Reasoning about Occupation

Dr. Shannon MartinJohnny Rider & Shantel Bishoff

ObjectivesAt the end of this workshop you will…

Have a basic understanding of ASL and Deaf Culture

Know the entire alphabet in ASL

Know how to introduce yourself in ASL

Know more than 30 additional survival signs

Practice both expressive and receptive ASL skills

Learning Styles-Auditory

-Visual

-Kinesthetic

Deaf Culture-Visual Environment/Deaf space

-Why use ASL?

-ASL vs Home Signs

-Iconic vs Arbitrary

-Deaf culture

-Life without sound

What is ASL?In spoken language, words are produced by using the mouth and voice to make sounds. But for

people who are deaf, the sounds of speech are often not heard, and only a fraction of speech

sounds can be seen on the lips. Sign languages are based on the idea that vision is the

most useful tool a deaf person has to communicate and receive information.

ASL is a language completely separate and distinct from English. It contains all the

fundamental features of language—it has its own rules for pronunciation, word order, and

complex grammar. While every language has ways of signaling different functions, such as

asking a question rather than making a statement, languages differ in how this is done. For

example, English speakers ask a question by raising the pitch of their voice; ASL users ask a

question by raising their eyebrows, widening their eyes, and tilting their bodies forward.

Just as with other languages, specific ways of expressing ideas in ASL vary as much as ASL users

do. ASL also has regional accents and dialects. Just as certain English words are spoken

differently in different parts of the country, ASL has regional variations in the rhythm of

signing, form, and pronunciation.

Deaf Population (as of June 2010)

United States

Total population: 302,496,866

Deaf population: 10,538,767

Percentage: 3.48

You may use ASL as a therapeutic activity or work as a practitioner with an individual who uses ASL as their primary or secondary language.

Nevada

Total population: 2,568,111

Deaf population: 77,377

Percentage: 3.01

Alphabet

Fingerspelling activitiesLet’s see your skills...

Worksheet

Introductions

Hello, How are you? (Tired, good/bad, stressed, sad, etc.)

My name is...

What is your name? (Repeat, slow, please)

Nice to meet you

-Practice introducing yourself and use a fake name this time

Survival Signs-Help

-Bathroom

-Pain

-Pronouns

-Hungry/Thirsty

-Have

-Like/Dislike

-Play

-Read/Study

-Boring/Fun

-Where

-What

-Class

-Yes/No/Don’t

-Eat/drink/food/candy

-Bath/shower

Survival Signs -All done/finished

-Please

-Thank you

-Share

-More

-Stop

-Wait

-Maybe

-Book

-Come here/Go to

-Sit/Stand

-With

-Hot/Cold

-Water

-Want/Don't want

-Ready

-Work

Practice Survival SignsPlease help me.

Where is the bathroom?

Come here and sit down.

I hurt my shoulder working?

Are you ready? Please shower more.

Do you want some water?

I want to play some more.

Thank you for sharing.

This class is fun/boring.

Please share your candy.

Additional SignsAny specific signs you really want to know?

-Starbucks

Therapeutic Benefits-Proprioception

-Tactile Sensations

-Spatial Relationships

-Visual Discrimination

-Hand-Eye Coordination

-Bilateral Upper Extremity Integration

-Fine Motor Control

-Gross Motor Control-Physical dysfunction

-Focus on affected or unaffected side

-Crossing midline

-Range of motion

-Understanding how you learn best

-Across the lifespan

-Social participation

-Sequencing

-Coordination

-Increase sense of self accomplishment

-Self expression

Therapeutic Benefits"Sign languages provide a unique opportunity to study

the different ways the brain processes auditory and visual information. American Sign Language (ASL), for example, is similar to spoken languages such as English, but its meaning is transmitted in a much different way.

Spoken language tends to be processed mainly by the left cerebral hemisphere. When ASL is used, structures in both the left and right hemispheres are activated."

Visual/Receptive SkillsJohn Mayer - "Waiting on the World to Change" (ASL Version)

Grading Up-Using more signs

-Language structure

-Standing while signing

-Signing using both extremities

-Increase signing box

-Signing in conversation with a peer/s

-Increasing social interactions while signing

-Add more vocabulary and phrases to signing conversations

-Correct sign production

-Video relay service/Videophone

Grading Down-Using less signs

-No language structure

-Real life examples

-Passive/active assisted movements

-Sit while signing

-Sign using one extremity

-Decrease signing box

-Help clients form signs with hands

-Length of time

-Sign in pairs

-Decrease the amount of social interaction while signing

-Use an ASL dictionary

-Leniency in sign production

Adapting -Using visual images

-Adaptive equipment for gross motor movements

-Dynamic hand orthoses

Resources-www.aslpro.com

-http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-American-Sign-Language

-Summerlin Hospital teaches Infant Sign Classes

-CCSD offers free classes

-CSN

-Wealth of online resources, including apps

ReferencesMcCarthy, J. (n.d.). LibGuides. Deaf Statistics. Individual U.S. states, territories, and localities. Retrieved July 23, 2013, from

http://libguides.gallaudet.edu/content.php?pid=119476&sid=1029190

Newman, A.J., Bavelier, D., Corina, D., Jezzard, P. and Neville, H.J. A critical period for right hemisphere recruitment in American

Sign Language processing. Nature Neuroscience, 5:76-80, 2002.