Here's another of the Christmas need stories: this one is about a deaf 5 year old and his mother. The mother put her son in a school for the deaf - good. Her son wants a bicycle. At same time, mother says she does not know sign language. Wouldn't learning sign language so she could communicate with her son be just as good, if not a better, gift than a bicycle?
Son Wants a Bike. Learning Sign a Better Gift?
From Jamie Berke, Former About.com GuideDecember 15, 2011
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How about both? Just because you are deaf doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a toy and have some fun. So a child gets hearing aid while watching his friends get toys because they are not deaf.
Access to a language is a need, as food and water. The mother should learn it in the first place.
I’m Deaf/HoH and support local charities as well as my local Deaf-services organization. I’ll buy the kid a bike. I applaud her choices, and agree that he shouldn’t have to choose one over the other.
So hard to understand hearing people–especially related with us. Years ago I went to visit my parents and ask my Mom how is the sign language class? She said she quit. Why? Because they started with numbers and numbers are very hard so she quit. I said well, lipreading is harder. Think I’lkl quit that too.! She never went back to class, but I think she got my point!
I agree that she should give him the bike, but she should commit
herself to giving him a gift of communication that will last a life
time by learning to sign.
If I were the mom, I would want to learn sign language first, so I can know what my child wants, or needs. then get the bike.
I agree with the other comments. Why can’t she do both? It will be something for both of them. If money is the issue, she could put the bike on lay-away and pay it off slowly. Then take an ASL class everytime funds are available. Community Colleges and deaf neighbor organizations have the lowest costs. She can even find FREE sign language lessons online!