Jill Eversmann
Speech-Language Pathologist, Signing Time Academy Instructor, Speaker with Cross Country Education
Healthcare professionals can make a big difference in interactions with patients who sign by knowing a few basic signs. Many hearing patients use signs, either as a temporary tool or for a long term communication system if they are nonverbal. When working with hearing patients who sign, you can confirm that you understand a sign just by saying the word to ask if you are correct.
*Please note that Deaf patients have a legal right to a medical interpreter and knowing a few signs does not take the place of that but it can go a long way in improving basic communication between patient and healthcare provider.
1) Mom / Dad
2) Eat/Food
3) Drink
4) Milk
5)Water
6) Bathroom / Potty
7) Hurt
8) Help
9) More
*The Manual Alphabet is also very helpful as some short signs are fingerspelled and both the patient and the healthcare provider can fingerspell any word if you don’t know the sign for it.
For information on my 6-hour sign language continuing education course that teaches 100 ASL signs and ways to use them in therapy, healthcare settings and classrooms, go to the Cross Country Education website and type in Jill Eversmann: CROSS COUNTRY EDUCATION If I’m not scheduled for a location near you, your agency can schedule this course at your location as an In-House seminar.
Shared with permission. Originally Published Nov 6, 2015
Take a class from Jill Eversmann or find an Instructor near you.
Find an Instructor in your area
If you can’t find an Instructor near you, some of our Instructors are doing classes and consults via Skype and Google Hangout. Visit our Academy Facebook Page if you need an online Instructor and we can get you in contact with one.
You can start learn with the Two Little Hands online dictionary.