Signing - Silver Spring,MD

We have two signing videos - Talking Hands, and "Signing Time". I personally love the Signing Time series - the woman who leads (Rachel) is the mom of the hearing-impaired child (Leah) who is another main character. We bought the series of the first 3 DVDs and it came with a CD of the songs on those DVDs. My kiddo has a speech delay and we used signs before he started to make progress, and he can sing every song on the CD (and he'll sign along to some of the songs, too!)

Keisha:

You live close to Galludet - contact them and find out if they have any classes offered!!

I would also check into a sign language video.

Hi,

See http://www.apples4theteacher.com/translate.html.

This website translates 1-30 words by showing you the hand motions. If you would like to start learning simple words, this would be a great refresher.

Kristen

There is a kid's show on a local PBS station that teaches sign language. The website is signingtimekids.org. I haven't been to the website but my kids like the show and I do too.

On my local listserve in Bowie someone just posted about offering a sign language class for 12 weeks on Saturdays, March 3-May 19.  The class will be for 1 ½ hours each week for $300.00. Her email is ____@____.com if you are interested. She says she is deaf and will provide instruction in ASL as well as cultural aspects of the Deaf community. Hope this helps!

Go to Gaulladett - I'm sure they have programs.

Google sign language learning and see what comes up in your area.

Ask your local library if they have classes as well.

Definitely check out Galludet if you can.

Keisha,

I haven't looked at other responses but you could try the library. I just borrowed a few signing dvds for my 19 month old. I picked up a few signs from online/youtube and for a while he has been signing "please, thank you and more" Haven't tried more but I think your you and your son will find it easy by watching the dvds or on youtube.

Go to Gallaudet university. On their campus there is an elementary school called Kendall Demonstration Elementary, KDES for short. They have free classes there for anyone interested. You can call and get details when exactly they take place. You can also get dvd's from the library. Signing time is a really great start for your child depending on the age. There is a site called Lifeprint.com that is great. Good luck, it can only broaden his vocabulary, your main mode of communication is spoken language so it wont keep him from using his words.

We took a sign language class thru the county. It was offered at the library. A community college might offer a class. I'd check with local hospitals too.

Do you know what type of sign language you want to use? I took classes at a junior college in ASL, but quite a few of the other students used SEE signing, which they thought was easier to learn. my cousin teaches sign language and says within the deaf community a kind of "pidgeon" sign is used - a mix of asl and see. i thought it was much easier to learn from a live person than off a tape or show or out of a book. you can catch the nuiances of it. good luck!

I 2nd the Signing Time videos--both the baby & just the signing time! Both my boys love them and the songs. You can youtube a few previews of some of her tapes to get a feel for her and if she'll work for you and your little guy. Love signing with my boy, it helped tremendously when they were first talking!

Our speech therapist suggested signing for my son when he was 18 months. You can get the signing times dvd's from the library.