Sign language resources in Boston?

by Eva
(Boston, MA, USA)

Thank you for your website. My son is autistic and nonverbal. He is 9, becoming frustrated because he wants to communicate. The learning tools for autism are not working. Repeatedly the medical community and speech therapist state that "Sign is the only way but they lack the next step in locating teaching resources and/or curriculum. I live in Boston that supposedly is the capital of education and I have contacted every higher learning institution and received very little information. If you have any resources, information and references I would be delighted. Thank you. Eva

Answer:

Hello Eva,

I think signing for your son is a great idea.

I don't live anywhere near Boston, but here is some ASL information I have found.

Schools for the deaf in your area might be good places to contact for more information about your sign language options. Here are some deaf schools located in Massachusetts:

The Horace Mann School for the Deaf

Beverly School for the Deaf - The Children's Center for Communication

The Learning Center for the Deaf

Even though your son isn't deaf, the deaf community has the most comprehensive and useful information about sign language and the best ways it can help your son. They may even have programs for autistic children.

Deaf, Inc. may be a good program to contact for information.
The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing may be a good place to contact for referrals as well.

If you're interested in learning ASL yourself, here are some programs to consider:

Boston University Deaf Studies program

Northeastern University

Unfortunately, I don't see any ASL classes offered at a community college in Boston. I'm very surprised at the lack of ASL programs in your area. I would have expected Boston out of all places to have plenty.

I hope these resources help you at least a little. Let me know if I can be of any more help.

God bless,

Michelle Jay

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Sign language resources in Boston?

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May 18, 2011
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Additional Resources
by: Donna

I'm not sure when this question was posted, so I hope this information will still be of help to you. The Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown (very close to Boston) offers very reasonably priced ASL classes for those who are interested, though I'm not sure of their minimum age requirement. As for community colleges, Northern Essex Community College has a good program which is much less expensive than either Boston University or Northeastern. The downside is that it's about 35 miles north of Boston. In any case, if your son's school feels he should be learning ASL, they are responsible for providing someone to teach him ASL. You can also try contacting The Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) www.fcsn.org to request a parent advocate that can assiste you in dealing with the school in order to get what your son is entitled to under the law - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). I wish you the best of luck :)

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Sign language resources in Boston?

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