Miss-Delectable
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http://www.oneidadispatch.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16883458&BRD=1709&PAG=461&dept_id=68844&rfi=6
Brittany Hummel of Durhamville, like most 9-year-olds, loves to jump on her trampoline and play with her hamster, Buttercup.
Her favorite movie is "Stuart Little." And, she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
When Brittany was born three months premature, she weighed only one pound, 12 ounces. She spent three months in the hospital.
"The first year, Brittany was behind in development. She didn't walk until she was almost two and she didn't talk...no babbling or anything," said Misty Hummel, Brittany's mother.
Brittany was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy and speech apraxia. Speech apraxia is a disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. Children with developmental apraxia of speech generally can understand language much better than they are able to use language to express themselves.
"Brittany's brain and mouth don't work together," Hummel said, "She can sometimes come out with a word very clearly and other times, she can't reproduce the word."
Through Oneida County's Early Intervention program, Brittany was placed in a pre-school program in Camden. The program, which Hummel describes as "incredible," allowed Brittany to work with a speech therapist. She also learned to communicate using American Sign Language (ASL).
ASL is the sign language of the deaf community in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in parts of Mexico. While there has been no reliable survey of the number of people who use ASL as their primary language, estimates range that there are between 500,000 to 2 million people using sign language to communicate in the United States.
Misty taught herself sign language from books and took several classes at BOCES and the Rome School for the Deaf so that she and her husband, Paul, could communicate with Brittany at home. The family also watches "Signing Time" on WCNY on Sundays at 10:30 a.m.
Now, Hummel wants to teach others how to sign.
"It's for truly selfish reasons," she said.
Hummel wants her daughter to be able to talk to others in her community. She said that when they are out shopping or running errands, Brittany wants to interact with others. With her speech disorder, communication without sign language is sometimes difficult.
"The more people who know sign language, the more Brittany can communicate with them," she said.
Hummel approached the Kallet Civic Center's Board of Directors and asked them if she could use the Civic Center as the site for her sign language classes. The board enthusiastically approved.
The American Sign Language program at the Kallet is just finishing for this session but Hummel plans to offer the class again in mid to late September. Most classes have run 10 weeks but the summer class has been a six-week class.
The class at the Kallet is basic sign vocabulary, which Hummel says is a good starter class. During the class, there is also discussion regarding the deaf culture. The attendance for this session has included nearly 40 people from all walks of life. One couple, who are at risk of losing their own hearing, are attending to find ways to communicate should that happen. Another attendee is the mother of a deaf daughter. Others include teenagers and elementary school children as well as adults who work with people who have disabilities.
Tom Millard of East Sands Street in Oneida has attended the summer class. Millard, who works for Madison-Cortland ARC, has worked with deaf consumers. He is also a cancer survivor who has had hearing loss due to chemotherapy.
"I have a 60 percent loss of hearing in one ear and a 25 percent loss in the other," said Millard.
He said that if his cancer comes out of remission and he must undergo another round of chemotherapy, the doctors have told him that he may completely lose his hearing.
Carol Shay of Oneida is also attending the class at the Kallet.
"I'm a teacher's aide for BOCES and Brittany is in my class," said Shay.
The program is helping her to communicate easier with Brittany and to work more closely with other handicapped children in her classroom.
Brittany, who is very sociable and active, doesn't let her speech apraxia slow her down. Not too long ago, she flipped her four-wheeler and broke her right arm. Brittany never cried and had to endure surgery to have three pins placed in the arm.
"I taught the doctor to sign," said Brittany.
Brittany is becoming quite famous in the community. In 2002, after 9/11, Brittany's grandfather, Fire Chief Don Hudson, offered the then 5-year-old a challenge. If she could learn to sign the Pledge of Allegiance, he would allow her to sign it as he said it at the Memorial Day ceremony. Within two weeks, Brittany learned the entire Pledge and proudly stood next to her grandfather to sign it on Memorial Day.
This year, at the BOCES Annual Meeting in March, Brittany was again asked to sign the pledge.
"I wouldn't be surprised to one day see her signing at the White House," said Hummel.
In the meantime though, Brittany is happy watching "Stuart Little," playing with her pets, a dog, two cats and Buttercup and visiting the penguins and elephants at the zoo with her class.
Misty Hummel will offer another class at the Kallet Civic Center in mid to late September. For more details on the class, contact the Kallet Civic Center at 159 Main St. or call (315) 363-8525. The class will be advertised on the Kallet marquee, so watch for details. There is a small fee for printed materials for the class.
Brittany Hummel of Durhamville, like most 9-year-olds, loves to jump on her trampoline and play with her hamster, Buttercup.
Her favorite movie is "Stuart Little." And, she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
When Brittany was born three months premature, she weighed only one pound, 12 ounces. She spent three months in the hospital.
"The first year, Brittany was behind in development. She didn't walk until she was almost two and she didn't talk...no babbling or anything," said Misty Hummel, Brittany's mother.
Brittany was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy and speech apraxia. Speech apraxia is a disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. Children with developmental apraxia of speech generally can understand language much better than they are able to use language to express themselves.
"Brittany's brain and mouth don't work together," Hummel said, "She can sometimes come out with a word very clearly and other times, she can't reproduce the word."
Through Oneida County's Early Intervention program, Brittany was placed in a pre-school program in Camden. The program, which Hummel describes as "incredible," allowed Brittany to work with a speech therapist. She also learned to communicate using American Sign Language (ASL).
ASL is the sign language of the deaf community in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in parts of Mexico. While there has been no reliable survey of the number of people who use ASL as their primary language, estimates range that there are between 500,000 to 2 million people using sign language to communicate in the United States.
Misty taught herself sign language from books and took several classes at BOCES and the Rome School for the Deaf so that she and her husband, Paul, could communicate with Brittany at home. The family also watches "Signing Time" on WCNY on Sundays at 10:30 a.m.
Now, Hummel wants to teach others how to sign.
"It's for truly selfish reasons," she said.
Hummel wants her daughter to be able to talk to others in her community. She said that when they are out shopping or running errands, Brittany wants to interact with others. With her speech disorder, communication without sign language is sometimes difficult.
"The more people who know sign language, the more Brittany can communicate with them," she said.
Hummel approached the Kallet Civic Center's Board of Directors and asked them if she could use the Civic Center as the site for her sign language classes. The board enthusiastically approved.
The American Sign Language program at the Kallet is just finishing for this session but Hummel plans to offer the class again in mid to late September. Most classes have run 10 weeks but the summer class has been a six-week class.
The class at the Kallet is basic sign vocabulary, which Hummel says is a good starter class. During the class, there is also discussion regarding the deaf culture. The attendance for this session has included nearly 40 people from all walks of life. One couple, who are at risk of losing their own hearing, are attending to find ways to communicate should that happen. Another attendee is the mother of a deaf daughter. Others include teenagers and elementary school children as well as adults who work with people who have disabilities.
Tom Millard of East Sands Street in Oneida has attended the summer class. Millard, who works for Madison-Cortland ARC, has worked with deaf consumers. He is also a cancer survivor who has had hearing loss due to chemotherapy.
"I have a 60 percent loss of hearing in one ear and a 25 percent loss in the other," said Millard.
He said that if his cancer comes out of remission and he must undergo another round of chemotherapy, the doctors have told him that he may completely lose his hearing.
Carol Shay of Oneida is also attending the class at the Kallet.
"I'm a teacher's aide for BOCES and Brittany is in my class," said Shay.
The program is helping her to communicate easier with Brittany and to work more closely with other handicapped children in her classroom.
Brittany, who is very sociable and active, doesn't let her speech apraxia slow her down. Not too long ago, she flipped her four-wheeler and broke her right arm. Brittany never cried and had to endure surgery to have three pins placed in the arm.
"I taught the doctor to sign," said Brittany.
Brittany is becoming quite famous in the community. In 2002, after 9/11, Brittany's grandfather, Fire Chief Don Hudson, offered the then 5-year-old a challenge. If she could learn to sign the Pledge of Allegiance, he would allow her to sign it as he said it at the Memorial Day ceremony. Within two weeks, Brittany learned the entire Pledge and proudly stood next to her grandfather to sign it on Memorial Day.
This year, at the BOCES Annual Meeting in March, Brittany was again asked to sign the pledge.
"I wouldn't be surprised to one day see her signing at the White House," said Hummel.
In the meantime though, Brittany is happy watching "Stuart Little," playing with her pets, a dog, two cats and Buttercup and visiting the penguins and elephants at the zoo with her class.
Misty Hummel will offer another class at the Kallet Civic Center in mid to late September. For more details on the class, contact the Kallet Civic Center at 159 Main St. or call (315) 363-8525. The class will be advertised on the Kallet marquee, so watch for details. There is a small fee for printed materials for the class.