Looking for advice on college major in ASL (or just any advice)

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youngsterat16

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I think I’ve posted something similar to this before but i am unable to find it.

So I’m really thinking about majoring as an ASL interpreter. Some where in that field. And right now it’s just on my mind and I was hoping to find advice from anyone with any experience in ASL or being around someone who communicates with ASL or perhaps just advice on college and careers and such, I just want to get some fresh information.

I haven’t been around anyone deaf yet. I know we have a deaf community but I just haven’t found anywhere I want to become involved in yet. I’m sure it’d be a good thing to find but there’s not much online that I’ve found, only a moms group that meets every so often that’s nearby with deaf children.

I’m trying to get myself involved in school but it’s hard to motivate myself. I work a bit but my schedule can be easily adjusted. I’m really trying and thinking about getting myself to do this special olympics bowling our school started this year and I may tutor elementary kids at a nearby school with a group at my school.

Advice? Words of wisdom?
 
Good morning, I love the way your mind is working and I know if you just will take a few steps some of what you question will become easier to sort out. A career as an ASL interpreter is a worthy career but I also believe you should invest yourself in shadowng a few people who do this in their life. I am a retired teacher and several times throughout the years I had profoundly deaf students who had certified teachers who were ASL certified also who followed them from class to class and interpreted everything that was said in the class. They seemed to love their work and I know it was very valuable to the deaf students they assisted. But, I also have a close friend who chose to get an ASL certification in a two year program and purused it as a career for a few years. But, she gave it up because finding fulltime work was very difficult. Since you are only in the thinking stage it would be a good idea to take the next step and attempt to talk with someone who actually does this in their day to day life.
Second, you will find many, many opportunities within your school and your community to attend information nights on a variety of subjects that will help you find your next step. Empower yourself with knowledge, attend some of these seminars, hear what they have to say and ask plenty of questions. Take advantage of it all, talk to your parents, go into your school counselor’s office and most importantly, pray, ask God to help you. I will pray for you also, this is an exciting time in your life, enjoy!
 
You might do better if you talk with alldeaf.com/ The best interpreters, just like with other languages, are those who grew up bilingual. For those who get into it in later life, there is a risk of carpal tunnel and other repetitive stress injuries.
Those who grew up in crafty homes (knit, crochet, sew, etc) are at less risk.

It may be better if you move into areas of working with the handicapped slowly, to determine your best options. That doesn’t eliminate learning ASL, since it is a great adjunct for early language development with Down’s syndrome kids, and even babies.
 
youngsterat16 said:
I think I’ve posted something similar to this before but i am unable to find it.

So I’m really thinking about majoring as an ASL interpreter. Some where in that field. And right now it’s just on my mind and I was hoping to find advice from anyone with any experience in ASL or being around someone who communicates with ASL or perhaps just advice on college and careers and such, I just want to get some fresh information.

I haven’t been around anyone deaf yet. I know we have a deaf community but I just haven’t found anywhere I want to become involved in yet. I’m sure it’d be a good thing to find but there’s not much online that I’ve found, only a moms group that meets every so often that’s nearby with deaf children.

I’m trying to get myself involved in school but it’s hard to motivate myself. I work a bit but my schedule can be easily adjusted. I’m really trying and thinking about getting myself to do this special olympics bowling our school started this year and I may tutor elementary kids at a nearby school with a group at my school.

Advice? Words of wisdom?
Click to expand...
I highly recommend the chapter on deafness in Andrew Solomon’s wonderful book “Far From the Tree”. It talks about the ways the deaf community functions and the role of the hearing in those communities. The book also addresses the ways that deaf culture and it’s needs are changing with the introduction of technology such as cochlear implants. It also has an impeccable bibliography that might help you find additional helpful reading or sources.
 
I am authoring a book on the history of the “motherschool” of the Tennessee School for the Deaf, which is Knoxville TN’s Old City Hall. My TSD contact is a life-long Catholic. Shall I send her the link to this thread and have her contact me if she thinks she can help?

There is a Catholic school for the deaf in Cincinnati called St. Rita’s.

Start with praying for the deaf community, and ask St. Francis de Sales’ assistance. He created his own sign language to bear witness of Christ to the deaf community.

I know of a former discerner who was an ASL interpreter in her church. There is a religious community dedicated to the Mother of Sorrows for deaf women, and the Dominican Missionaries to the Deaf for men.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has a Deaf major.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
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