Walk, do not run, to Aaron’s latest entry, “Why I won’t teach my children ASL.“
While normally I’d have reservations about any piece with that title, Aaron’s point is valid and so salient to many of the conversations going on in the deaf community, educational, cultural or otherwise: kids and their parents need to be on the same page when they hang out, communication-wise.
That’s why cueing is such a boon for so many hearing parents: instead of asking them to learn a whole new language and miss out on the first few (and oh-so-important developmentally) years of a child’s language acquisition, parents can learn a system that lets them turn the spoken language they already know into one that’s visually accessible for their deaf kids.
And certainly, as will be the case when Aaron has kids someday, the same holds true for deaf parents and their children, whether they’re hearing or deaf. The modality or language isn’t important. The fluidity and articulation of the connection and communication between parent (or other family member) and child is.
While ASL deserves so much more recognition than it currently garners now, it also deserves to be propagated by those who are truly comfortable speaking it. That said, Aaron is daring to say something that might be interpreted as controversial, confusing, and maybe even seems impossible to some people. But it’s also very appropriate, regardless of whether you come from a hearing or deaf family, and regardless of whether you primarily sign or cue or both.
He’s saying, “I’m gonna talk to my kid the way I’m most comfortable talking in general. My family, my language.”
Kudos to Aaron.
