This might be of some help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sign

also check out your community college...
ours teaches ASL at a very reasonable price.

It really helps to have a teacher guide you and to practice on classmates.

My husband and I both took a class at church. Of course, he had a bit of a head start as he dated a non-hearing gal in high school. I agree with Luann, it really is much easier, at least when you first get started, to have a teacher physically show you. After you have the rudimentaries, there are lots of books that can be helpful. One of my favorite is a tiny book that I can carry with me. It fits in my purse and I can take advantage of times when I have to stand in line or wait in a doctor's office.

Here is a link that might be useful: pocket size book

I think there's some lessons on You Tube.

Give Teddy a hug for me. I have a Sheltie as well. Third one we've had over the years.

Been enjoying reading some of your stuff tonight that I found after reading about your daughter. I remember "talking" to you a few years ago because my sister lives in a Sears home in Norwood Ohio and you had apparently been the one to inform her that it was a kit home. She has recently remodeled it extensively and I'm hoping she didn't destroy its bones! (I don't live nearby.)

Hope you have success learning.....

Save money and get a head start on learning ASL by using YouTube as a resource.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sign+language&search_type=&aq=f

Here is a link that might be useful: YouTube ASL

Oh, one more thing............I am assuming you wish to learn ASL and not BSL or International. Check first to see what the videos are or it can get confusing for a beginner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzgeO-qj4cM

Here is a link that might be useful: Alphabet and Numbers

Thanks for the replies. I'm really grateful.

Rose

Rose, unless you have VERY high speed internet, I am going to contradict dilly dally. Video is a great learning tool, yes. But on line video of ASL can get you into trouble! If the signs are not made correctly, you could be asking someone to go to bed with you instead of telling them it was nice to meet them! And, yes, that is exactly what my instructor told us! If the video is slow or blurred on line, you don't get the exact motion/postion of the sign. Our main branch library has some videos. Even kid oriented videos are great tools.

My first class was taken at the local community colleg. I took level two at the Center for Deaf and Hearing Impaired. First level at the college was taught by a hearing interpreter. The level two class was taught by a deaf instructor. I later took lessons from her at her home using music. She taught a couple of us to sign to songs we liked as long as they werent' fast. Were the signs in the "correct" order? No. It was like learning the english version of sign. ASL is based on the French version, as that is where the man who started sign language in the States learned it from, so the sentance structure is like that of the French language. Unfortunately, I still tend to sign in English structure!

As long as you learn the alphabet, and some numbers, you can comunicate with any deaf person, except maybe a small child. And it is greatly appreciated by them, that you are trying to communicate their way.

I also don't like the idea of learning from a book. Yes, we had books for class, and they are great in their place. But, you really need to be shown physically how to make the sign. Pictures are not easy to figure out how to properly do it.

From redcurls post above, I am assuming you are in Ohio. If so, please email me! I can give you some better suggestions for where you can go to learn. If you have a Center for Deaf and Hearing Impaired near you, that is a great place to go. I think it was $20 for a 6 week class when I went about 8 years ago. (I should go again. If you don't use it, you loose it! G moved and we haven't gotten together in over 3 years).

Have fun learning sign! Oh, and there is slang in sign, and regional signs, just like there is slang and regional expressions/words in English or any other language.

Tami

I should have explained. This is for communicating with a very small child.

OK Rose. Check with your local library. Also, still check with a Center for Deaf and Hearing Impared. They will be invaluable! For starters here a a couple.

Eat: gather your fingers together, then lightly tap your lips with them.

Juice: close your hand, but extend your pinky. Holding it by your mouth at the side of your face, make a "J"

Milk: Beside your mouth, like for juice, pretend you are milking a cow

How young is the child? I'll try to think of some more simple ones that I can just tell you how to do. And how much does the child know?

Tami

I am a certified sign language instructor. I learned ASL when I was very young, one morning I woke up to a very quiet world. I had lost all the hearing in my left year and about 40% in my right year due to a severe ear infection. My parents were advised to teach me ASL and to also learn.
I wear a hearing aid and for the most part do alright as long as I am not at someone's back or in large groups of people. I do however read lips and that helps.
Your best bet since you are dealing with a small child is to visit your library. If you are interested in learning as a second language check out your local college they may offer classes. There are also wonderful ASL dictionaries that will have everything you need a long with a diagram of each sign.
Good luck!

The child knows about 100 signs. He's two years old and seems to prefer sign language to verbal communication.

Is there a medical reason that the child isn't communicating verbally?

Firemanswife, I don't know the answer to that. His parents started teaching him sign language as an infant and he seems to prefer that. He knows 100 words (signs) and only speaks three or four words. His hearing seems fine.

I don't have more information.

I just know that I'll be spending time with him soon and want to talk with him.

Does anyone know of a child that prefers sign language to spoken language? Is there a reason a hearing child would gravitate to that?

Rose

Rosemaryt, one reason a child won't communicate verbally is autism. Autistic children refuse to communicate verbally. I doubt that autism is the reason though since the parents started teaching signing as an infant and such a diagnosis would be impossible in such a young child.

My cousin had an autistic child who never spoke until he was 12y/o. He drew pictures instead.

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tamo_ohio, I am sorry I recommended getting a head start on learning the alphabet and numbers with my YouTube link. I have DSL through my phone company and was unaware that YouTube does not work with dial-up. Your written text posted for signing was so much better for learning signing without getting it 'wrong' or making mistakes.

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I taught myself signing in order to do better at my job. Lots of customers are deaf and even though they usually come in with what they want written down on paper, there are often additional questions that must be asked to ensure proper service and happy customers. I'm sure I was not very good at it and made some mistakes, but no one ever thought I was trying to pick them up. Or maybe they did and I was not cute enough. LOL.

Rose, check out interesting articles explaining the philosophy of teaching hearing babies to sign.

Some Montessori schools have all children learn to communicate with signing as another form of communication.

http://www.handspeak.com/kids/index.php?kids=teachinfants

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Once you get into signing, increase your vocabulary with *Word Of The Day* in this vid-link below. Very cool.

http://www.handspeak.com/index.php?home=wordofday

Here is a link that might be useful: Handspeak Article

Rose, I found this software that might help you out. Take a look at it when you can, it looks promising at first sight.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sign Language Lessons

I had a book years ago that I got to teach the boys basics before they could talk...I think it was called Baby Sign(s)..but here's a google search with lots of links and places to check out.

Our elementaries teach ASL alphabet with the written letters in Preschool and Kindy...I love that!! They also do some very basic words.

Here is a link that might be useful: sign language for Baby

there are a lot of little ones who don't/won't start talking until they are older. My nephew was one! Nothing wrong with him, just two lots older sisters who said everything for him, (and with those two, getting in a word of your own can be a challeng!), and he wasn't ready yet.

When the child is ready, he'll start talking and you won't get him to shut up! The reasoning behind teaching an infant to sign, is that the "terrible two's" aren't as bad, because they don't get frustrated because they can't communicate since they can usually get their point across by sign.

Dilly_dally, LOL! At least you must not have told them you were pleased to meet them improperly, then! The direction you are holding your fingers can make all the difference! That was explained with the above example, very emphatically by my instructor at the time. As the friend of a deaf person, you have my thanks for your efforts in making it easier for your customers. I'm sure it was appreciated. My DD is a photographer who has several deaf customers. She doesn't remember much of the signs themselves that I had taught her, but she finger spells a lot! If she couldn't remember, or didn't know, a sign, she finger spelled everything for them that she needed to. They were repeat customers for that very reason.

Firemanswife, You are great! And what an accomplishment for your. You had great doctors. My friend, Gale, has/had an implant. She still did more lip reading than hearing, last I talked to her. Unfortunately for her, she had severe back problems and had to have surgery. Every time they had to do an MRI, they had to remove the implant and she would get an infection. And when she had surgery, of course the implant wasn't in because of the infection, and the nurses ignored her when she needed help, because they couldn't just answer the bell over the intercom. I don't know if she still has the implant or not. The only contact I have with her right now is thru email.

Please ignore any typos. I am typing on a rubber keyboard and think I have typed a letter or made an upper case, or space and it didn't type!

Tami

If you have peruse YouTube you probably found that many persons have vids and vlogs where they sign to songs, most often inspirational music.

I came across this interesting guy, Bjorn Storm, (his YouTube username is st0rmfx) who signs to very contemporary music and adds special video effect to keep it fast paced and hold interest along with make-up and cotuming. There are many more out there like this. These may take the boredom out of what is generally rote learning for ASL.

Gnarls Barkley's - "Crazy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYcSAMWIcAE&annotation_id=annotation_803847&feature=iv

Anyone trying to get their teen interested in learning ASL as a second language and are being stonewalled? Show this Bjorn Storm vid of him dressed as Marilyn Manson signing to one of MM's popular songs.

Marilyn Manson - "This is the New Sh!t"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeK433u4fA0&NR=1

Here is a link that might be useful: ASL to 'Crazy'

Bjorn Storm hails from my area and is currently transplanted in CA.

His website with more of his work is here. Genius:

http://www.stormfx.net/stormfx.html

Apparently he has run into some copyright trouble for signing music without permission and had to pull some of them them.

Here is Black Eyed Peas - "Pump It"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAu5uFpbanU

Here is a link that might be useful: ASL to 'Pump It'