Should parents pay to learn ASL?

[HRSoftwareSystems]

Learning ASL is learning a language, you expect to pay for Spanish, French or Italian. It makes sense that you are going to have to sacrifice to learn it.

[avbria]

@HRSoftwareSystems True however it is a different ballgame when your child is Deaf. There should be free ASL service provided just the same way there is free audiological services for those who need listening devices.

[Ray77063]

Hearing parents MUST be able to communicate with their deaf children using som ekind of language, for the children's sake. The children must learn language concepts to function in society. I think it should be a law that insurance must cover ASL classes if the parents pass hearing tests and the children are proven deaf/hoh. The kids would benefit a lot more than the parents.

[thinkingofmoving]

I have to preface this by saying that I am an ASL student looking to be an interpreter. I do think that parents of deaf children ought to have available to them ASL in order to communicate within the family. Generally, though, this happens naturally as the child goes on to residential school. But, to say that everything needs to be covered? I just think that inequity is a fact of life. For example: Some people can have babies w/out trying, some need in vitro - should that be covered, too?

[snowmobile60]

i heard about it from mike check at deafoic and he heard news that in state of Wisconsin insurance cover CI and hearing aid but not  cover asl class. things is that ci and hearing are device things so i guess asl is not device that why insurance not cover it i guess

[Banerika]

I think the government should: 1) educate pediatricians on benefits of ASL, and 2) pay for ASL classes for hearing parents. I think this needs to be brought to President Obama's attention right away. Imagine if all hearing parents learned ASL as soon as their child was discovered to be deaf? They should see it as their obligation, like getting their child immunized: you must give your child the best possible chance for learning and brain development by giving them a language.

[captianfalcon4u8]

Perhaps it will be too political when it comes to insurance to cover for it but we can look at linguistic related funds to cover this need.

No parents should have obstacles from learning to communicate in ASL with their Deaf chidlren.

[captianfalcon4u8]

Hi,

I am glad that you find the Deaf a cultural-linguistic minority. We are disabled by the society not just because we cannot hear. Imagine if there is a Deaf majority and a hearing minority, would the Deaf be disabled?

There are funds at the hearing bilingual programs to enable families to learn English as a second language so why could it not be the same for those who want to learn ASL?

[thinkingofmoving]

So, if the Deaf were the majority and the hearing a minority, what exactly would change? 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Residential schools would still exist, hearing people could still hear and talk, and Deaf people would still be deaf and use ASL. Sound is not something that hearing (or should it be Hearing?) have denied the deaf. The Deaf are deaf because they can't hear.

But I do agree with you about the 2nd paragraph.

[lamewing]

Some folks want free ASL lessons to communicate with their Deaf kids. Okay. One problem I see with this idea is that if insurance covers ASL lessons, then that will quantify a lack of hearing as a medical condition. If it is a medical condition then those who are unable to hear must be disabled. Yet, in my experience with the Deaf community it was made clear to me that the Deaf are a linguistic minority.

Do we subsidize a linguistic minority? Folks who VERY MUCH state they aren't disabled?

[harman4]

When I taught ASL classes to speech therapists and other professionals working with deaf/hard of hearing children, I charged them a fee but I never charged parents of deaf/hh children because learning to sign to their own dhh children is their right...I am deaf and have two deaf children...I could not charge any parents to learn to sign!

[cdbicdb]

I just bought 2 new aids...hearing loss from childhood accident, why are those not covered by insurance as well? 3 grand!!! I will admit, being able to hear is wonderful, but it is a medical condition, why can't I have insurance for hearing aids? I have it for glasses.

[MSSDstudent]

You make a good point... Wow! My father is now taking ASL courses and has to pay.. but never thought, why not he get free...~?? Lets do something about it!

[xxserenestormxx]

I have known sign all my life but never became fluent in it. Just enough to have small conversations. Ironically I have just recently lost all my hearing, they are trying to figure out the cause. It's stupid because in order for my family to learn sign (mom knows about as much as me) we would have to pay $70 a person. There are also no classes during the summer so must wait til the Fall if we wanna take the classes.

[dangerics]

ASL classes should be covered by insurance. Absolutely. How great would that be? It would help the parents communicate with their deaf children AND it would provide jobs for Deaf ASL teachers. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

[SMAUHL]

I don't agree with them who charge hearing parent will learning asl for his deaf child is important asl communicate. they should be free to learn asl class for their deaf child.. If they don't have their deaf child but they want to learn asl class charge them .

[photorestore]

You make a very good point. Activism is probably the only thing that will bring a change. I'm learning ASL at this time, hopefully I'll be able to relate better in the future. I do have some ASL videos in my profile though. Sherman