Need advise on best way to learn ASL for my non-verbal son.

Question

Hello! I have an amazing 2 year old son who shows no signs of wanting to talk. He understands what we say but refuses to talk. He has started speech therapy and so far has taken well to signing and has said more words in the last 8 weeks via sign then he has ever. The speech therapists have agreed that he may just sign for several years and not use his voice. What is the best and most effective way for myself and my husband to learn? I don't have the money for the private lessons that I have found, but I need to make sure I am learning the correct way to sign as it will best benefit my son. I have a few books but the 2D signs get confusing then I have no clue where to start or how to put a sentence together. I am not looking for armchair diagnosis for my son, nor am I looking for advice on how to teach my son. I simply need help with two adults who need to learn. Thank you so much!

Answer 1

A great way to enhance your ASL vocabulary is to dedicate a day in the week where only ASL is to be used. For example, watch ASL videos with basic vocabulary (or shoot me a message for a some beginner vocab!) and then choose a day where you will only use ASL. I find this to be an effective way to keep your mind engaged with the language and to use it frequently enough for it to stay in your memory. For words you may not yet know, utilize fingerspelling to fill in the blanks. I would advise starting with learning the alphabet so you can fingerspell and then following up with basic phrases (Hi/My name is/ I feel/I want/How are you/Thank you/ etc.). I hope this was helpful! If you have any other questions or would like a few demonstrations of some signs, just send me a message!