Medical professional learning asl for my patients

Lysander

Lysander

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Good morning,

So, my name is Travis. I'm learning ASL through the startasl website for the time being and will be taking ASL classes this fall and next spring. I'm learning ASL to help with my patients. I work for a hospital and have had three interactions recent with deaf or hoh patients that I have had to use a tablet on wheels with a video interpreter. That was a great experience and tool, but it was only valuable while I had the interpreter on the line. Once I got my patient into the room to work with them, I was no longer able to communicate my instructions due to my lack of knowledge of ASL. So I made it a point to try and learn.
 
Why didn't they bring the VRI interpreter with them in the room?

Thanks for learning ASL!
 
AmputeeOT said:
Why didn't they bring the VRI interpreter with them in the room?

Thanks for learning ASL!
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We did. The problem happened once I got the patient on the table. She had additional questions that I couldn't answer. At that point I would have had to have gotten her down from the table and used the interpreter then gotten her back up, repositioned, then continued. Also the problem arises once the testing has started it can't be stopped unless there's an emergency. So when she had questions in the middle of the test I couldn't do anything at that point either.

I at that point only knew how to fingerspell, so I literally had to finger spell things to her. I felt inept. People shouldn't have to deal with not being able to communicate when I am perfectly capable of learning their language.
 
Ahhhh I totally get it now. This is one of the major weaknesses of VRI and an actual interpreter in person would have given your patient equal access.

I applaud you for understanding and taking the time to learn ASL!

Also THANK YOU for this:

"People shouldn't have to deal with not being able to communicate when I am perfectly capable of learning their language."

Here is a website I like:

www.lifeprint.com

Also possibly too advanced for you, but this website is a great resource for educating Deaf about medical issues. Many Deaf have very littlehealthcare education and so even if you know the sign for diabetes (for example) they might not know what diabetes is. This website explains many healthcare terms, symptoms and conditions in ASL.

http://deafhealth.org/

I will be happy to be an ASL practice partner with you. I am late-deaf but fluent in ASL and my husband is pre-lingually Deaf and has been signing since he was a child.
 
Right now I'm learning through startASL.com. That's working pretty well. I like the structure of it. In the fall and spring I'm taking an in person ASL class at a local community college. I may take you up on that offer sometime though. I'm finding that fluent signers are too fast for me. And I don't want to be rude and ask someone to sign slower so I can keep up. I'd get annoyed if someone who didn't speak English asked me to speak English to them and do it slowly just so they could learn. It seems like an imposition.
 
Lysander said:
Right now I'm learning through startASL.com. That's working pretty well. I like the structure of it. In the fall and spring I'm taking an in person ASL class at a local community college. I may take you up on that offer sometime though. I'm finding that fluent signers are too fast for me. And I don't want to be rude and ask someone to sign slower so I can keep up. I'd get annoyed if someone who didn't speak English asked me to speak English to them and do it slowly just so they could learn. It seems like an imposition.
Click to expand...

Well.. I tutor in ASL two days a week. My students started out as absolute beginners.
 
AmputeeOT said:
Well.. I tutor in ASL two days a week. My students started out as absolute beginners.
Click to expand...
Hi I'm new and I'm learning ASL for the same reason as the guy, but I work in psych with children. Two patients so far have been deaf and I couldn't understand what they needed until their interpreter showed up at 7 am. I work overnight so it's difficult.
 
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