handicapped child - able to listen and understand - unable to speak

[Stefan Wöhrmann]

Hi Valerie and dear sw-list members all over the world, 

 

Excuse me,  if somebody feels that this question is not subject to
SignWriting  ... I need your support.

 

Last week I  met a 5 year old boy in my classroom–  

He is  physically handicapped. He can hear and understand spoken language
but is unable to speak a single word and this will not change in the future.
So he uses gestures as far as possible. 

 

Now we are in the process to develop ideas – what kind of education –
program would fit his needs at best? 

 

He is able to understand questions and to follow instructions given in
spoken language at his level of age without any problem. So he iss smart ...
smile!

 

In the long run he probably will choose to use kind of computersoftware – to
type his comments on a screen –  but will this support his need for everyday
– communication?

 

His mother has heard about  GebaerdenSchrift (SignWriting ) and she decided
to check out whether this could support her and her son to improve their
communcation. 

 

Believe it or not but this smart little boy was able to identify the signs
of a two pages GebaerdenSchrift-Document after only a 45 minute session!
And even when I wrote some sign-names at the blackboard he could understand
and sign immediately the idea : written names  - well of course written
SignLanguage 

 

I am wondering wether anybody who reads this message knows of a child in an
almost parallel situation. Would be great to get some enriching ideas,
comments, weblinks ... 

 

Thanks for your attention!

 

Stefan ;-)  

 

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