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Communication is something inherent to your human and since we became a society, many, many years ago, it is one of the things that sets us apart from the rest of nature. Of course, we have evolved a lot from this and today it is possible to communicate with all parts of the world using different forms of language.
One of them, in particular, is sign language , used by people with hearing impairments who are unable to understand sounds and, consequently, to reproduce them. There are several sign languages nowadays in the world, but the one used in Brazil is called libras.
How Did Sign Language Come About?
Libras is an abbreviation for Brazilian Sign Language , which is used by the vast majority of hearing impaired people in Brazil and which is recognized by law as the country’s official sign language.
Although it was only recognized in this way in 2002, with great movements to make it happen since the 90s, libras have existed since the 19th century and was born from the creation of the Institute of the Deaf-Mute, founded in 1857, which is known nowadays as the National Institute of Education for the Deaf (INES).
Libras arose out of the need to have a way of communicating with people who had a hearing impairment , as well as being a way of getting them to communicate with other people.
Before that, there was no standard for those who had this type of disability and therefore, there were many difficulties in living together , even with the person adapting to the most common gestures used by people.
Importance of Sign Language
The creation of sign language was also important in order to unite the hearing impaired in some way, providing that they can speak for themselves and that they can express their wishes, in addition to also demanding their rights and showing what can still improve so that the their communication with the rest of the world can be more efficient.
Despite the fact that it took a long time for sign language to become official, many deaf people had already mastered pounds before that, in addition to already having a formed community.
There are several dictionaries of pounds nowadays that have more than three thousand types of signs, which are used in all regions of the country. It is important to say that the 21st century has brought significant advances to the deaf community and culture .
Since the advancement of technology has enabled many people to communicate in other ways, in addition to bringing people with hearing disabilities into situations that they identify with.
What to Do When My Baby Is Born Deaf?
The inability to hear sounds is something that affects about 5% of the Brazilian population , which means a good number of individuals. Deafness is characterized by a problem in any of the three parts of the ear (external, middle and internal), which can be caused by an injury during life or can also be a birth problem.
Deafness in a baby is usually noticed through the first exams done while in the maternity ward, but it is always necessary to be attentive to the signs that the child is not listening properly to be sure if a problem was not developed after these exams. Knowing this, the first thing to do is to know how to identify deafness in a baby.
It is important to know that a deaf baby can develop normally like any other, as long as it has the due attention and monitoring of the parents.
When Baby Can Start Learning Sign Language
This is a recurring question and many believe that the child learns sign language only when he is older, but the truth is that parents can and should begin to adapt the child as early as possible so that he can have a good development of the your communication.
Therefore, signal communication needs to be exercised from the moment that the parents realize that the baby has hearing impairment. A newborn baby receives various types of stimulation and his contact with the outside world often depends on the sounds he hears, such as the perception of the mother’s voice, for example.
In the case of babies who have hearing loss, this type of relationship needs to happen with the gestures that the parents make for him and in eye contact , so that this type of sign language is something natural for the child.
Family Learning
It is important to remember that the introduction to Brazilian sign language needs to be given first to the family, so that they get used to it and that they can prevent the baby from getting confused.
Although it seems difficult at first, it is something that all parents are able to assimilate easily and sign language, not least because much of the child’s learning will depend on the domain that parents have of this type of language.
For this, the family needs to be guided by professionals who help the communication of the family as a whole. The child should be referred to a speech therapist specialized in deafness , while the parents should focus on learning sign language, as previously mentioned. It is possible that the child has some progress with orality, however, it should not be expected that he can communicate perfectly speaking.
Having a child with a hearing impairment can be a great challenge, but nothing that prevents the child from having a healthy, normal and, mainly, happy life. Of course, it is the parents’ task to ensure that the child is stimulated in the right way so that the child’s development is not impaired in any way, but with everything done correctly, it is certain that the child can lead a pleasant life even having a disability .
Nowadays, deaf people have a better interaction with the world and between them too, thanks also to sign language. Thinking in this way, all sociological and technological advances tend to help even more those with disabilities, both hearing and other types, so that we have a society with more equality.
See also: Braille – The Words at the Fingertips
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
