#fingerspelling

[thefavoritechild]

[cuties-in-codices]

16th c. alphabet for fingerspelling & fingercounting

from a copy of a text attributed to bede the venerable (7-8th c.), included in a miscellany manuscript written and illustrated by wilhelm werner von zimmern, speyer (?), c. 1539-62

source: Stuttgart, Landesbibl., Cod. Donaueschingen 704, fol. 163r-164r

[angloirishnolanist]

With 7s selective mutism, there hasn't been a lot of options beyond 'leaving space' for him to answer if he can, and a couple of communication cards at school, and giving him a pen and paper to write what he can.

On the same day it occurred to me that Makaton could be a good idea, we had a knock at the front door. Answering, which I usually don't do, I was greeted by a charity rep who quickly told me he is autistic and passionate about his charity work - for a charity supporting Deaf children and campaigning for BSL/Makaton to be taught in schools. It felt like one of those weird cosmic alignment moments.

I explained that the boys are also autistic and that, strangely, I'd been thinking about Makaton as an option for 7 and his selective mutism.

Within ten minutes, I'd agreed to a monthly donation (more than happy to do this!), signed their petition for the use/teaching of BSL in schools, and had a great chat with the guy about how his autism impacts him, and how he liked that we were adapting for 7 rather than letting things just float by.

I got a letter, confirming the charity payments and it included this collection of fridge magnets, teaching the fingerspelling alphabet. I'd known this already, but 7 was immediately interested. Looking over it for around a half hour, he taught himself to spell his name, and 6s name, and to fingerspell 'hello' and 'no'. He was proud of himself, and I was proud of him!

I'm going to sink hard into Makaton, and see what I can bring for him to use when he's struggling to talk. I'm not sure he'll manage to effectively sign at school with eyes on him, but giving him the tools can't be bad.

[overwhelmedfernfrond]

Moots

Moots 😭

My friend learned the ASL alphabet because of me 🫶🏻🫶🏻

[ravenalexnightwood]

Do y'all ever just fingerspell something wrong, try to correct yourself, and keep making the same mistake so many times that you have to side eye your hand and shake it like it's a broken flashlight

[tea-time-terrier]

Free American Sign Language (ASL) Fingerspelling Practice Site

In case anyone else is struggling with fingerspelling <3

[ghostenluvs]

PROBLEM: nobody but me in this house can fingerspell and i'm autistic so i need that sometimes.

SOLUTION: if they won't learn it independantly themselves i'll learn it

AT THEM.

EXAMPLE:

my poor family, minding their bussiness:

me, tired of being wordsless and full of spite, signing at them until they're forced to have the knowledge burned into their brains:

GIVE ME AND A! GIVE ME A B! GIVE ME A C! C'MON YOU CAN DO IT I BELIEVE IN YOU! GIMME AN A!!!

[bugdotjpeg]

my ASL teacher told us in order to practice we should fingerspell random words we see to get better at it and why did I decide to sign Barack Obama off of a post I saw instead of literally anything else