Sign Language Class

Last night I had my first sign language class. Since the end of the summer, I have been reading Cillian's board books with him and learning signs that way. I have also - no joke - gone through the sign language dictionary, have written down words I think we as a family should know and then reduced that list to a few hundred and was self-teaching that way. All the while I was researching where a college was offering a night class - I even was googling private tutors. And then our local high school sent out their extension packet - night classes for continuing education for adults - ceramics, photography, computer skills, and languages. There was no class for sign language but I called them and then they directed me to The Center of Deafness in Northbrook. I called on the 15th and they told me classes for the winter session begin next Tuesday night, last 10 weeks and go from 7-9pm. And the cost? $100. Done and done.

I was so nervous last night I can't tell you. When I got home around 10pm I was exhausted but I told Doug - it's great. It's so nice to have a teacher. I was doing some signs incorrectly and it was so nice to be shown the right way. Books are great but they are two dimensional and signing isn't. My teacher is the only speaking-hearing teacher. All the other teachers are non-speaking deaf. Which means after Beginner I, you have to be able to sign questions. Good news is that you can repeat Beginner I for as long as you want to repeat it :)

So now, I'm officially learning sing language. When Cillian woke up this morning, I said and signed to him, Mommy Loves You. And he smiled so big it brought tears to my eyes. Then he signed Cillian loves Daddy, Mommy and James.

We're on our way. We'll get there. Signing is helping Cillian learn to say different words and when we sign and speak things to him he seems to process it faster and understand it faster than if we just speak it. I am not sure how he'll end up using sign language - as his primary way of communication or as a supplement or not at all - but I do know that learning it and teaching it to him, Doug and James will all help us to better functionally communicate with one another. And that right now is what is important. This way we all feel heard and understood.