A Haven for Organic Learning
One day we dream to have a space called an ASL Home to be a haven for learning American Sign Language organically. We want to see Deaf kiddos and their families from around the world come and feel empowered to learn their natural language!
The concept of the ASL Home (American Sign Language Home) came in 2018 while thinking and praying, “There has to be a better way for hearing families to learn sign language along with their Deaf adopted children”.
Teaching ASL in the same setting as the family lives, a home, became the vision. Doing life together in the same setting while playing, cooking, reading books, cleaning, eating, getting dressed, sleeping, everyday life, all in ASL. Families would come to the ASL Home during the day and go back to their homes to practice what they learned.
Utilizing Universal Design to include everyone and DeafSpace friendly concepts to make it visually conducive for signing. A sensory sensitive home full of attachment rich and emotional safe practices to make sure everyone feels safe. At the same time teaching parents TBRI® (Trust-based Relational Intervention®) strategies and principles with all the other skills families of adopted Deaf children need to catch up from their Deaf child’s year(s) of Language Deprivation.
This is time sensitive!
A child with normal hearing has a vocabulary of 900 – 1,000 words, by the age of three, the adopted Deaf child has a very limited vocabulary, if any at all. It is a critical time for Deaf children to begin learning ASL to build the foundations for their emotional, social and behavioral development as they are learning to trust and form attachments in their new families.
The ultimate would be to build the ASL Home to specifications. We are asking God for that.
At the same time we realize that might take some time and we need a space for our four families in Buncombe County who have adopted Deaf children, now! Three of which have brought their Deaf and DeafBlind children home since November 2022.
The cost to secure a house for the ASL Home for one year, furnish it and run it is approximately $45,000.
Will you give as God leads you to give and will you share this need with others?
DeafSpace Friendly
Universal Design
All donations are tax-deductible!
Signs for Hope is an approved Public Charity 501(c)(3) by the IRS.
