Mother is going deaf. What's the best way to get her/our family in process to learning asl?

Question

Like the title states, my mother is rapidly loosing her hearing and total deafness is not far off. I want to start the process of learning asl as a family to help her make this transition as easy as possible. Are there any government programs or resources that would be of major service to us? What is the online resource world like for asl? I haven't done any extensive research myself as this is a bit of an overwhelming subject, but I want to do whatever I can to help my mother be comfortable with her non hearing life. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

A majority of those labeled as 'hearing-impaired' in the U.S. are those in our elderly population. Many struggle to accept that adopting a new language could help them. They may struggle to learn or feel it isn't possible. IT IS POSSIBLE! The more support your grandmother has, the better. If the family is convinced of the need, then you've achieved much in the path to learning. Perhaps looking into peers that are experiencing similar. Perhaps another older one at church, or in the family that can learn with her. Feeling alone in a task can make it feel insurmountable. As for online resources, as a previous expert mentioned, quality is an issue. YouTube is full of people teaching, though many have suspect qualifications. Look for sites run by deaf, native signers. The best option is to have a live person working with you who can watch your signing and offer corrective feedback.

Answer 2

There can be a sensitive period of time while she accepts the fact that she is going deaf. Being able to communicate easily through verbal means is different than manual sign language communication. BUT it is certainly effective once you learn a few signs.

Depending on what state you are in they place deaf and hard of hearing services in different places. Some are under the department of education or even the vocational rehabilitation. What state are you in?

I would check with your local college or university and ask them where the local services are located. Even better, if you can find a deaf professor, they are sure to know.

Free classes are hard to come by but they are not non-existent. Its just the quality that you need to watch out for. Youtube can help too but again quality becomes an issue.

I can provide classes and would love to work with you. My mom is deaf as well.