Mia Jones has been speaking to her parents since she was 8 months old, long before she ever said a word. Instead of her mouth, Mia uses to hands to chatter away with her deaf parents.
Now Mia is 6 and teaching her little brother how to communicate with his hands. Though both children can speak their parents are deaf, making sign language important for communication. They can chat with friends then switch to signs for their parents, making them little bilingual experts. And they are not the only ones.
Many parents, both deaf and hearing, have found the benefits of teaching sign language to young children. Before they are able to correctly vocalize words, many older infants can use their hands to communicate with their parents. Programs such as Baby Signs and Signing Time have flourished as sign language becomes more and more popular.
Mia’s parents say they are teaching their children how to live in two cultures, one that is deaf and one that is not. They want their children to see that deafness is not a hindrance, but just another aspect of normal.
Mrs. Jones says, “some deaf parents rely on their children, but I am totally against that, I would never take Mia to the doctor with me and ask her to interpret, it would be totally unfair.” – Summer, Staff Writer
