SIGN LANGUAGE American Sign Language is the 3 rd most used

Baby Sign One of the hottest trends in child development is that infants can communicate basic needs before they can speak. It also boosts lingual and intellectual developments.

Spicing it up Sign Language, in its natural state, adds spice. Visual-spatial arts, and bedtime storytelling, are part of the spices.

Persons With Disabilities Signs break communication barriers for hearing people with chronic and acute disabilities who have delayed or little verbal skills.

Professionals Visual-gestural communication is the primary mode for stock traders on the floor, flying hands filled with numbers and codes. Partially modified International Sign Languages may be extremely beneficial for stock traders, scuba divers, firefighters and several other purposes in the fields.

Animal Sign Human interest in communicating with animals (and possibly vice versa) has been around for a long time, via speaking, signing and/or painting.

ARISTOTLE B.C. A Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, pronounced that “Deaf people could not be educated without hearing, people could not learn”.

16 th Century Geronimo Cardano, a physician of Padua, in northern Italy, proclaimed that deaf people could learn and understand via sign communication

17 th Century Juan Pablo de Bonet published the first book on teaching sign language to deaf people that contained the manual alphabet in Although, sign language was already instinctively developed by deaf signers.

18 th Century/Romantic Period of art Abbe L’Epee of Paris founded the first free school for the deaf people in He demonstrated that deaf people could develop communication with themselves, and the hearing world through a system of conventional gestures, hand signs, and fingerspelling. He first recognized and learned the signs that were already being used by deaf people in Paris, and developed his sign system. He added a signed version of spoken French.

Samuel Heinicke Leipzig, Germany Established first public school for the deaf people Did not use the manual method of communication

19 th Century Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet A Congregational minister who helped a girl named Alice Cogswell, traveled to Europe in He studied the methods of communication for the deaf. In England, Abbe Roche Ambroise Sicard invited him to his school for deaf in Paris. Gallaudet then returned to the United States with Laurent Clerc, a deaf sign language teacher

Gallaudet and Clerc Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded the first American public school for deaf students in Hartford, Connecticut in Laurent Clerc became the United State’s first deaf sign language teacher.

Baseball Signals William “Dummy”Hoy ( ) the first deaf Major League baseball player, was the reason umpires adopted hand signals : out, safe, and strike.

Football Huddle 1894: The Gallaudet University football team invented the football huddle to keep the opponents from eavesdropping on the quarterback in American Sign Language.

International Sign 1924: Comite International des Sports des Sourds (CISS) was founded in Paris on August 16 th during the first World Games for the Deaf held in Paris, France on August 10 th to 17 th, with six nations- Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Holland, and Poland-participating in the competitions in Athletics, Cycling, Football (Soccer), Shooting and Swimming.

WFD 1951: The First World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf ( WFD ) took place in Rome, Italy, with participants from 25 countries. The Deaf were able to discuss and decide on the Constitution in Gestuno ( now International Sign ). (WFD) The International Sign and English are the official languages of the WFD.

Linguistic Book 1960: William Stokoe of United States published a first linguistic book of Amercan Sign Language as a language 1970: Linda Bove ( Deaf Signer ) was a guest for the American children’s populare TV show, “ Sesame Street” in 1970: Eventually, she became a regular actress in : Klima and Bellugi conducted a first linguistic research on the American Sing Language Phyllis French was the first Deaf Signer to win a Tony award ( The Best Actress ), for playing a “Sarah” role in the play, “ Children of a Lesser God”.

Diana, Princess of Wales 1983: Diana, Princess of Whales, who acceptd an invitation to be the Royal Patron of the British Deaf Association in 1983, later studied British Sign Language

The Smurfs 1983: “ The Smurfs “ became the first cartoon to use sign language in America on TV. The “ Smurfing in Sign Language “ show had the highest ratings that “ The Smurfs “ had ever had.

Oscar Award 1986/1987: Marlee Martin ( hard-of- hearing Signer, 21 ) became the first daeaf Signer to win the “ Best Actress “ Oscar award for playing “ Sarah “ role in the film, “ Children of a Lesser God “.

ASL Recognized in Manitoba 1988: On December 6 th in Winnipeg, Canada, a private member’s resolution was passed unanimously which officially recognizes the cultural uniqueness of the deaf community and American Sign Language ( ASL ) as a distinctive language of deaf people in Manitoba.

ASL Recognized Alberta 1990: MLA ( Member of Legislative Assembly ) Bill Payne of Calgary proposed Motion 216: “ Be it resolved that the Legislative Assembly urge the Government, given the cultural uniqueness of Alberta’s deaf community and the linguistic uniqueness of American Sign Language as a language of the deaf in Alberta; and to incorporate it into Alberta’s grade school and post-secondary curriculum as an available language of instruction.” The Legislature passed the motion on June 19 th, 1990

SL Recognized in Slovak Republic 1995: The National Council of the Slovak Republic passed a law recognizing “ Sign Language as a language of communication of the Deaf “ June 26 th, 1995

SL Recognized in Finland 1995: The Sign Language was recognized in the Finnish Constitution in August

SL Recognized in Uganda 1995: On October 8 th, 1995, the sign language was recognized and included in Uganda’s new Constitution after the Uganda National Association of the Deaf and its allies campaigned to promote sign language awareness in Uganda.

Benefits of ASL Expands your native language, culture, and values Beautiful, unique, and graceful 3 dimensional language Communication is more wholistic

Benefits of ASL Bilingualism expands your cognitive processes You can sign with your mouth full Underwater communication for scuba divers You can talk through windows of buildings from a distance (Unspeakable)

Benefits of ASL You can be sure that nobody can overhear you through doors/walls You can use signs in a library or church Communication is easier in noisy bars, clubs, discos Benefits others with special needs (autism, communication problems)

Benefits of ASL Communicate with toddlers at a younger age Communicate with animals (Koko) Develop linguistic, intellectual, and literate skills earlier than with spoken language