THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601170086
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
A TV program to help deaf and hearing-impaired students in Norfolk schools communicate better with their families has produced an added benefit: building a bridge to regular hearing kids and parents.
``We've had a great response,'' said Cathy Baer, a speech pathologist at Calcott Elementary and host of ``Sign On.''
``Our regular hearing kids here are watching, too, which is great, because they can communicate with the deaf children and they don't feel so isolated.''
By the end of the nine-week program, viewers should know how to communicate basic words needed for survival in sign language, such as ``food,'' ``drink,'' ``how are you'' and ``please,'' as well as count to 100, Baer said. Some of the same key words and phrases are needed to communicate with non-English speaking people when traveling abroad, she said.
The 20-minute show is a production of the city schools' media production department and is airing on television Channel 47, the local cable access channel for the schools.
``What's so unique about this is it's an opportunity for anybody to learn to sign,'' said Greg Willis, manager of WNPS 47.
Maritsa Alger, an inclusion specialist at Calcott, came up with the idea, Baer said. Inclusion involves placing children with special education needs in classrooms with ``regular'' kids.
At Calcott, nearly all of the 17 deaf and hard-of-hearing students are included in general classes. Citywide, about 56 deaf and hearing-impaired students attend public schools.
Baer said that a majority of parents with deaf kids have not learned standard sign language, instead developing ``home signs'' to communicate with their children. But such personal communication is not compatible with the signs taught at school, teachers say, meaning that deaf children often enter school with delayed skills.
Many parents want to learn sign language but sometimes can't afford expensive classes, Baer said. ``Sign On'' has given them an alternative.
The nine-week program aired for the first time last fall and proved so popular that it is being repeated beginning this week, Willis said. Each show airs four times daily, at 6:30 and 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. for one week. by CNB