“I’m a visual thinker, not a language-based thinker. My brain is like Google images.” – Mary Temple Grandin (Professor of Animal Science, Autism Advocate)
Like Temple Grandin, I am also a visual thinker. I really love languages, so I am attempting to learn two right now.. Spanish, which I don’t find too difficult, and Finnish… which is crazy hard. Check out the size of some of their words…
Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas - It means: "airplane jet turbine engine auxiliary mechanic non-commissioned officer student" Sign Language is the easiest so far for me to learn, and when I thought about why, I realized that it was precisely because I am a visual learner. I have processing difficulties, so I often mishear words, or don't necessarily understand them, but with sign, it is different... and I find they are easy to remember. Those of us with autism often have difficulty communicating and difficulty with social interactions.
That thing is 61 letters long….
I discovered as I read, that sign language is often used with autistic children to further speech development and to help them learn to communicate when talking is difficult.
In one article I read, Sign Language for Children With Autism, “Children with autism have a hard time connecting spoken words to objects. Your child may often be frustrated because he cannot communicate effectively” (Perez, 2016) According to the article, this gives children the ability to communicate in a more socially acceptable manner. (In other words, it helps the child to avoid a meltdown.) Some autistic people are non-verbal, and sign can help them as well.
There is a difference with the sign used with autistic children. In ASL, the sentence structure is subject – verb. Many autistic children are taught SEE. (Signing Exact English). The sentence structure follows the same rules as the English language. Because all autistic people are different, (just as all neurotypical people are different) not everyone benefits from sign language.
Here are some examples.
Shield Healthcare.com
According to Autism Parenting Magazine, some of the benefits of autism are as follows..
- More spontaneous communication: children will be more likely to communicate without prompting
- Better social skills: they may pay more attention to the social cues of others
- Less aggression and meltdowns: these behaviors are often caused by frustration at being unable to communicate
- Less depression and anxiety: likewise, kids with autism are likely to be happier when they can make themselves understood
- Less reliance on auditory processing: this skill is hard for many autistic children, so signing may be easier to understand
Some of the Cons:
- Extensive use of motor skills: signing involves careful use of hands and arms, but some children with autism struggle with motor skills
- Focus on facial expressions: ASL often uses facial expressions to convey more nuanced conversation. This could be hard for kids who have trouble interpreting faces
- Eye contact: many autistic people don’t enjoy prolonged eye contact, but this is a common part of ASL etiquette, especially when interacting with Deaf signers
- Stimming could distract others: Self-stimulatory behavior isn’t a bad thing, but if your child uses their hands to stim, it could confuse or distract a conversation partner (Delano, BA, 2022)
Autism Parenting magazine also offers some tips for those who want to learn sign….
- Find the right person to teach
- Learn the Finger alphabet
- Learn signs that are important to your family and
- set specific goals…
Have fun learning!
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