Ask Angie ASL – Independence

Tips for Working with the Deaf: Using an Interpreter for Independence

People who are deaf or hard of hearing, will use an interpreter to facilitate communication. This allows them to express themselves with less of a communication barrier.

Things to remember when working / speaking to a person with a hearing loss who is using an interpreter;

1. Speak to the deaf person; not to the interpreter.
2. Refrain from using language like; “tell him, I said….”
3. Remember that the interpreter is there to translate what the deaf person is saying; not to interject they opinions or feelings about the conversation.

Have a relaxing summer, see you in the fall

Note: ASL is a multi-sensory form of communication that helps children acquire vocabulary more quickly and efficiently.

Angie Craft author and teacher brings over 26 years of experience in deaf education and is committed to serving the deaf community. Keenly aware of the isolation that deaf students often experience, Angie developed and wrote HandCraftEdASL to bridge the communication gap between deaf children who primarily use American Sign Language and their parents, peers or educators. www.handcraftedasl.com

For more information: follow us on FaceBook @ HandCraftEdASL

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This post originally appeared on our July/August 2012 Magazine