Deaf Parenting: Holidays Communication Tips for Families with Deaf Children
Well, it is the busy holiday time again! Such a wonderful time for celebrations and family at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and New Years. You are so busy. There is shopping to do; travel plans to make; relatives coming to visit; going to relatives to visit; cooking to be done; going to worship; the list just goes on and on.
Through this busy time when family celebrations are happening, it is really important to have effective communication with your Deaf child and to include them in all the activities. Your hearing children are picking up from general conversations, phone conversations etc what is happening and all the plans that are being made. It is very heart breaking to realize after the fact that you went to visit relatives and your Deaf child does not even know the names of the relatives. Some planning can ease your frustration and your child’s frustration.
Here are some tips:
- Try to explain to your child the family plans. You can do this by explaining to your child what the family will be doing tomorrow or on the next trip. For example, we will be going to the airport, taking a plane to New York to visit Aunt Jane, Uncle Joe and Cousin John and June. Use pictures and sign language to explain to your child the names of new people they will meet. When your child is older and can read you can always write a simple itinerary and share it with all family members before trips.
- Make the effort to interpret for your child what is being said. You can share the interpreting among various family members. An excellent place to interpret what is happening is at the dinner table.
- Concerning going to worship, most places will provide an interpreter if you contact them early enough. You can volunteer to contact the interpreter and make the arrangements if necessary. It is strongly recommended that you request an interpreter at least 2 months in advance, or find worship services where they provide an interpreter all year round. The place of worship should pay for the interpreter. What we have been doing lately when we visit out of state is attend a church which has an interpreter and Deaf members. The last church we went to had a Deaf minister and interpreter, with all the people in the same service and location. Larry and Amrit really enjoyed worship and felt included.
- I have found that young children are very eager to learn to sign. You can send a sign language book or DVD to your child’s cousins before the visit so they can learn some signs.
- Everyone enjoys learning the signs for the various holidays. Have your child teach the relatives those signs and other signs. Make it a fun activity.
- If you are visiting some where, make sure the TV closed caption is always on.
I hope these simple tips are helpful! Please add your tips by commenting on the blog! Happy Holidays!
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On December 7, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Holiday Worship Tips for Families with Deaf Children
For the holidays many families go to worship. Here are some tips for including your deaf child and making it fun!
1. Work with your place of worship to have an American Sign Language interpreter for worship services and activities. Usually you have to search for an interpreter who knows the vocabulary and has experience with your worship services. These interpreters are out there, you just have to start your search early! Your place of worship should pay for the interpreter. At our church, after a while we started making the arrangements with the interpreter directly via email and phone, and the church paid the interpreter, this was more efficient and avoided miscommunications.
2. Here is a big tip: work with someone involved with the worship services to get copies of the agenda, scriptures, hymns, and sheet music or at least the words to the songs that will be performed at the service for the interpreter before the worship services. Sometimes it is difficult for the interpreter to hear/understand the words of songs someone or the choir is signing.
3. For really well attended services, arrive early so your family can sit in the front row in order to see the interpreter without obstruction. The location for the interpreter and the entire deaf person’s family should be reserved by the church.
4. Include your deaf child in any holiday related activity, for example making advent wreaths etc. With good planning, the interpreter should attend these activities too.
5. If your family will be participating in worship services include your deaf child along with your other children. For example, at one Christmas service our family had to read a couple of passages of scripture. Larry signed a passage and the interpreter interpreted. Larry has a Bible for the Deaf and he signed the passage from his Bible. Again, explain to the interpreter the format of the particular worship service and get the interpreter scripture passages etc early.
From the time we moved to Massachusetts, when Larry was 10 years old, right through to Larry’s high school and university years we attended the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury, MA. We were blessed to have Pastor George Saylor who did a great job of including Larry in church activities and services. Pastor Saylor and elder Doris Soule did all that was necessary to ensure that an American Sign Language interpreter was available and paid, for all church activities that Larry attended. Doris Soule gave Larry his Bible for the Deaf. We were very lucky to find Marion Butland to interpret at church activities and services.
When Larry and Amrit were expecting Raveena and starting a family we moved from the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury to Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA. Grace Chapel has a Deaf Ministry with many Deaf members and American Sign Language interpreters for church activities and worship services.
Please let us hear your holiday worship tips!
deaf communication
On April 4, 2010 at 12:00 am
[...] Deaf Studies eventCalDeaf.com is a calendar of events for Deaf California. Add your event!Deaf Parenting: Holidays Communication Tips for Families with …Tips to ease the frustration during the busy holiday season. Plan in advance and try as much as [...]
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