Amy Signs: A Mother, Her Daughter, and their Stories

23. Summer Workshop Times Two

147 23 Summer Workshop Times Two Rebecca Yesterday, Amy completed her first year of therapy with Marge and can now speak, lipread, and sign many words. Her spoken vocabulary has more than one hundred words, far less than a hearing child her age, who would speak approximately nine hundred words. For a child born profoundly deaf, however, one hundred spoken words are a major accomplishment. Of course, many of her spoken words can only be understood by Jack, John, or me. Lipreading is difficult for Amy, as it is for most deaf and hard of hearing people, because many English letters, such as P/B and T/D, have the same lip movements when spoken. Last week I looked in a mirror and said “papa” and “bye-bye.” My lip movements looked identical. I marvel that Amy can lipread and understand any words. Another obstacle to lipreading is that many words and letters are formed inside the mouth. From what I’ve read, only 30 to 40 percent of the English language can be recognized visually. I thought sign language would be the solution to our communication problem, but I’ve discovered there are different ways to sign. One method is signing in English word order, using a method like Signing Exact English (SEE), and the other is signing American Sign Language (ASL). My use of signs has been limited to individual Amy Signs Main Pgs 1-320.indd 147 6/27/2012 10:37:44 AM 148 Amy Signs words, but now that Amy has enough vocabulary to form simple sentences, I must choose to use either SEE or ASL. Everything concerning Amy involves decisions, and with no definitive answers available, I often feel that making the right choice is akin to playing darts in the dark. I hope I make the right decision; I only have one chance to do this right. SEE is an accurate representation of the English language, which enables me to sign exactly what I’m speaking, when I’m saying it. SEE would allow Amy to observe the use of prepositions, articles, verb tenses, and proper English sentence structure. SEE is easy for me, because I don’t have to translate my thoughts into a different language. ASL is the true language of the Deaf community; a language with its own sentence structure. If I use ASL, Amy will have to learn English grammar and sentence structure later. Using ASL is hard for me, because I can’t speak one thing and sign something else at the same time. I’m worried that using ASL will confuse Amy, since what she might hear and lipread will not be in sync with what I am signing. ASL is best used without speech, but if I quit speaking, I fear Amy will lose her ability to speak and lipread. Without an instructor, learning either method is difficult. Kay shows me new ASL signs weekly, but I only see her for two hours, not long enough to become proficient, and I forget more signs than I remember. I don’t think I can teach myself ASL, so I’ve decided to use SEE, which is a bit easier to learn. Maybe I should consider Amy in my decision, but how can I expect a three-year-old to make a decision I can’t? ) In June, John stays with my parents while Amy and I go to the Nebraska School for the Deaf Summer Workshop in Omaha. When Amy and I drive someplace alone, I really feel her deafness. I’m unable to communicate with her when she sits in the back seat except with simple signs I do above my head. Amy seems to know she must speak if she wants a response from me, but today we make the twohour drive from Beatrice to Omaha in silence. Amy Signs Main Pgs 1-320.indd 148 6/27/2012 10:37:44 AM Summer Workshop Times Two 149 I wish I knew what Amy was thinking. For weeks I’ve told her we’re going to NSD. Does she understand this? As I drive past wheat field turning golden, my thoughts swirl. Am I doing the right thing? Of course you are, Rebecca. You’re only visiting the school, not enrolling her. We could move to Omaha. Jack has a marketing degree; he could get a job there. Are you nuts? He’d...