Introduction:

If you are the parent of a child with Dyslexia, you are on a life-long journey to help your child achieve their best self. Often, this may feel like a video-game-worthy quest. Dragons to slay in the form of the wrong diagnosis- check! Maze to escape in the form of therapies tried- check! Thankfully, making a decision about the study of a second language does not have to be that hard. Here are three reasons that you should consider American Sign Language as your child's best option:

It's a Visual Language

Adults and children with dyslexia have trouble making connections between print and the language centers of the brain. For this reason, learning a second language, complete with a new set of orthographic symbols can feel like an overwhelming challenge. Well, here come Signed Languages to save the day! Signed languages rely on visual parameters to make up each word. These parameters are fully accessible to individuals with dyslexia. What's more, your child may be primed for this new visual language. They have already learned to take in visual cues around them in order to help them make meaning from signs and incidental text. They are often more observant that the average hearing person. Boom! ASL could become their new superpower!

Benefits of Fingerspelling

Spelling is the bane of many people, not just children with dyslexia. As a young child, I struggled greatly with spelling and with the English phonetic system in general. For me, ASL was actually the answer to those problems. In order to improve on the speed and skill with which I could fingerspell even simple words, I had to practice the art of "chunking." "Chunking" is when you break a word up into meaningful segments that go together. By learning to fingerspell "-ame" smoothly, I trained my brain to recognize all the words that use this chunk. Over time, and fingerspelling practice, I actually resolved many of my spelling issues. Now, I can't promise that your child will overcome their dyslexia through studying a Signed Language, but, fingerspelling shouldn't be a reason to discount choosing ASL. After all, perfect spelling is not a requirement for signing fluency!

Community

American Sign Language can be more than your child's ticket to foreign language credit- it can be their entry point into the ASL World and the Deaf Community. With approximately 250,000-500,000 ASL users in America alone, the possibilities for language interaction are endless. Depending on the options available in your area, your child may be able to participate in an ASL Honors Society, join school ASL/English theatrical productions, go to local ASL gatherings, and make connections with the local Deaf Community. If they continue their studies and fall in love with Deaf Culture (as I did!), they might find their future career as an ASL interpreter, Teacher of the Deaf, or community advocate.

Learning Language for a Richer Life

I know that foreign language requirements may seem like just one more obstacle in your quest to defeat dyslexia, but it doesn't have to be that way. Learning American Sign Language could be like finding a Bonus level, filled with coins and power-ups. Instead of something to just struggle through or avoid entirely, learning a visual language could increase your child's confidence and skills!

Ready to find some sign language classes for your child? Want them to progress beyond the basics of sign language? Check out our Youth ASL Online Membership and find out how I can help them learn ASL the fun and easy way!