Auslan resources

lovenlearning Autism - Courses, Autism - Therapies and Therapists

Hannah and I have been attending Auslan classes at Deaf Services Qld this term.  I’ve always loved watching people communicating using Auslan- it’s so expressive!  Abi is learning Key Word Sign (which uses Auslan signs, but only signs the key words in each sentence) at school and in speech therapy, and is starting to use a few of the signs herself.  Generally by about an hour and a half into the class, Hannah and I are quite tired from concentrating so hard!  But we are happy with what we have learned, and feel that we are making good progress.  It’s great that we are doing it together, as we can practise at home between classes.  We use Auslan Signbank if we can’t remember the sign, and the pictures in the book aren’t clear enough.

I was looking at something on Youtube tonight, and as I was browsing, I found a clip of Advance Australia Fair in Auslan.  Not only that, there was a tutorial before the song, demonstrating every sign used!  Hannah and I were thrilled with how many signs we recognised.

BrightonSigningChoir, who uploaded that video, has numerous other Auslan clips on their channel, including Happy Birthday (with tutorial), Rainbow Connection, Roar, What a wonderful world, Fireflies, Aussie Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus is coming to town.

We enjoyed them so much, that we began searching on Auslan songs on Youtube.  Here are some more that we found.

Sing a Rainbow is an excellent opportunity to practise our colours, though some of the signs used in this clip differ slightly from those we were taught.  May just be Northern/Southern dialect.

RangaRyan6 has several clear and expressive songs on his channel – Lean on me, What a wonderful world, Imagine, and some nursery rhymes and popular contemporary Christian songs.

Dan Jarvis also has some lovely clips on his channel, including Lean on me, I will always love you, and I have nothing.

There are a couple of songs signed by a little girl called Yu Ri- her expressiveness was fantastic!  She signed Fireflies and Advance Australia Fair.

Mrs Klaproth signed Silent Night slowly so that the signs can be seen easily for practise.

Darren Kirkegard has a great clip of Amazing Grace.

User Liz Eux has a clip of a little girl signing Do you want to build a snowman?

I think Hannah and I may have just found a good option to keep practising our signing over the Christmas holidays!

 

AAC and other communication

lovenlearning Autism - Therapies and Therapists

Amanda Hartmann, a Speech-Language Pathologist, has written this article as part of a series of Do’s and Don’ts of AAC.  She recommends respecting multi-modal communication, and avoiding requiring AAC users to use their device every time they wish to communicate.  Just as we might talk, email, text, Facebook message, etc- an AAC user might vocalise, point, sign, gesture etc- and all are different but valid forms of communication.  Her suggestion is to accept the communication as offered, but rather than require the same message through the device, acknowledge the communication, then use the opportunity to model.

Seasonal sensory sensitivity

lovenlearning Articles from Autistic Adults, Autism - Sensory

I always enjoy reading Cynthia Kim’s articles (Musings of an Aspie blog)- her writing is clear and insightful.  This post is about how changing seasons affects her sensory system.  The mid-seasons are always tricky with unpredictable weather and therefore clothing choices, but she is not always aware of how her body is feeling until it’s a major effect (ie whole body shivering rather than just a little cold).  She outlines how each of the changes affects her sensory system, then mentions a few strategies she’s using to try to help.

Parking permit pains

lovenlearning Autism - Safety, Autism/Disability Acceptance and Discrimination

Until a few years ago, parents of Autistic children were able to apply for a disability parking permit, if they had medical documents confirming that the child would be unsafe crossing a parking lot (eg because the child was a runner, or had sensory issues that might cause fight/flight/freeze responses etc).  The criteria is very strict, and the quantity of paperwork daunting.  Disability parking permits are not easy to obtain.

Many disabilities, like Autism, can be invisible.  Some disabilities affect people in different ways on different days.  Some people who don’t use wheelchairs have valid disability parking permits- and have been subjected to torrents of verbal abuse, nasty notes, or interrogations.

Yes, there are definitely selfish people who are unconcerned about others’ need for those priority parking spaces.  But there are also many people with invisible disabilities who would like to participate in their community without constantly being asked to explain details that are nobody else’s business. If you are part of the self-appointed parking police, please check for a valid disability parking permit first.

Intolerant of children

lovenlearning Autism and disability articles

While this article is about society’s attitudes towards families that enjoy travelling together, so much of what is written can also be true of families in general, and especially of families of children with autism.  I agree that there does seem to be a shrinking number of places where children are welcomed and accepted.  The author makes the valid point that while children have poor impulse control, the adults who are complaining should be able to control their emotions and resolve the situation in a mature fashion.  I love her final recommendation that if absolute silence is that important, then invest in some noise-cancelling headphones.