Abstract
Many hearing impaired children rely on signing as a method of communication and are educated through this medium at school. While there is a paucity of information on the use of signing in the home, the impression in the literature is that these children are often unable to communicate through this medium in their homes. This has serious implications for family relationships as well as the personal well-being, educational success and social integration of the child. The present study explored the signing experience of 45 mothers of children in the junior primary phase at schools for the deaf in the Durban region of Kwa-Zulu Natal as a reflection of the use of signing within the home. A descriptive survey design, using two researcher administered questionnaires, was used to obtain information on the signing practice of mothers, exploring aspects related to the extent to which signing is used, the type of signing used and signing proficiency. The findings revealed mothers' signing skill to be inadequate in terms of their own assessment on rating scales and descriptions of their signing. They signed less frequently than their children did, using speech more often, and with the vast majority using simultaneous communication when they did sign. Signing ability was judged to be below that of their children, with sign vocabularies of between 0-50 words for 85% of the participants. It appears that sign learning by hearing parents of deaf children in this region needs to be actively promoted. The implications of these findings are discussed to address the communication needs of signing deaf children and their families within the South African context.
Highlights
Many hearing impaired children rely on signing as a method of communication and are educated through this medium at school
Professional interest in the young deaf child begins during the period of diagnosis and early habilitation and interfaces with deaf education
The greatest task facing both parents and professionals working with deaf children in the early years is that of breaking the communication barrier that exists between a mother and her deaf child (Gregory, 1995)
Summary
' The professions of 'Speech Language Therapy and / Audiology in South Africa have concerned themselves with issues of signing for some time. Impoverished communication between signing children and their parents is evident in the numerous accounts of the difficulties, isolation and bewilderment that deaf children experience in situations that are considered normal in everyday life These reports tell of children's inability to access information vital to their understanding of events around them, and of sharing their thoughts, joys and fears with those closest to them (Lane et al, 1996; Mindel and Vernon, 1987). It has been stated that parents have not been served well by the professionals involved in the area of deafness (Mindel and Vernon, 1987) due to a lack of Lavanithum Joseph & Erna Alant awareness of the communication needs of parents and their deaf children as well as a failure to provide them with realistic solutions Related to this is the critical issue of lack of consensus among professionals in the field with regard to signing being a method of choice with the deaf child. The extent to which signing is used within the home context by signing children and their parents would be explored in terms of meaningful communication that is perceived as mainly inadequate by most writers
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