Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Metrowest Newspapers, Inc.
Aaron Delgado knows just one language, English. But he doesn’t speak a word of it. A birth defect made it necessary for him to live, speak and work in a bilingual world.
Delgado is deaf and he communicates by using American Sign Language.
“I had hearing aids and I had a little residual hearing when I was younger, but I’ve lost it all,” Delgado said through a telephone interpreter.
To talk with someone on the telephone, Delgado uses a service for the deaf. A two-way camera system allows Delgado and the interpreter to sign to each other.
“I don’t perceive (my hearing loss) as a handicap,” Delgado said. “I have my degree. My only problem is talking to people sometimes.”
His father, Michael Delgado, is an electrical engineer for an airline company. The family has lived in Alaska, Colorado, Texas and its current home in Arizona. Aaron was attending college when the family moved to Brighton in 1995.
Delgado graduated with a master’s degree in deaf studies and deaf education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, in the fall. He is teaching sign language at North Harris Community College in Texas. The decision to become a teacher was an easy one for him.
“I’ve considered teaching for a long time,” he said. “I enjoy helping students improve their skills and helping them succeed. When I see a deaf student succeed at something, it’s really great.”
Most of his students are hearing students. But he enjoys teaching the deaf students most.
“I can share my feelings and my experiences to help their education,” he said. “It’s different than trying to teach a hearing person. It’s not their native language.”
Delgado hopes to add one or two math classes to his teaching schedule. He recalls a time in eighth grade when he was not doing well in math.
“Three weeks into my math class, my grades were not very good and my dad was very upset,” he said. “But he showed me a program using math in real life and he told me ‘you can do this.’”
Delgado said he drew a lot of strength from his father, but his entire family has always been very supportive.
Growing up deaf today is not the same as it was a few years ago according to Delgado’s mother, Ellen. Delgado’s schools provided teachers who could sign. After high school, he attended Gallaudet University, a college for the deaf in Washington, D.C., and Lamar University for his master’s.
“We all learned how to sign,” Ellen said. “The rest of our kids (three boys and one girl) just learned it as they were growing up.”
According to his mother, Delgado was around 10 months old when he signed his first words – “water,” “drink” and “more.”
“One of the hardest things was getting him to hear me, because if he wasn’t looking at me, he didn’t know I was trying to talk to him,” Ellen said.
She said her son had some rough stretches through high school, but he had some good teachers. His determination and his father’s encouragement are what got him through the tough times.
“Learning to sign is so important for the parents and family,” Ellen said. (Aaron) has done incredibly well. He’s come through everything. I am very proud of him.”
Aaron Delgado knows just one language, English. But he doesn’t speak a word of it. A birth defect made it necessary for him to live, speak and work in a bilingual world.
Delgado is deaf and he communicates by using American Sign Language.
“I had hearing aids and I had a little residual hearing when I was younger, but I’ve lost it all,” Delgado said through a telephone interpreter.
To talk with someone on the telephone, Delgado uses a service for the deaf. A two-way camera system allows Delgado and the interpreter to sign to each other.
“I don’t perceive (my hearing loss) as a handicap,” Delgado said. “I have my degree. My only problem is talking to people sometimes.”
His father, Michael Delgado, is an electrical engineer for an airline company. The family has lived in Alaska, Colorado, Texas and its current home in Arizona. Aaron was attending college when the family moved to Brighton in 1995.
Delgado graduated with a master’s degree in deaf studies and deaf education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, in the fall. He is teaching sign language at North Harris Community College in Texas. The decision to become a teacher was an easy one for him.
“I’ve considered teaching for a long time,” he said. “I enjoy helping students improve their skills and helping them succeed. When I see a deaf student succeed at something, it’s really great.”
Most of his students are hearing students. But he enjoys teaching the deaf students most.
“I can share my feelings and my experiences to help their education,” he said. “It’s different than trying to teach a hearing person. It’s not their native language.”
Delgado hopes to add one or two math classes to his teaching schedule. He recalls a time in eighth grade when he was not doing well in math.
“Three weeks into my math class, my grades were not very good and my dad was very upset,” he said. “But he showed me a program using math in real life and he told me ‘you can do this.’”
Delgado said he drew a lot of strength from his father, but his entire family has always been very supportive.
Growing up deaf today is not the same as it was a few years ago according to Delgado’s mother, Ellen. Delgado’s schools provided teachers who could sign. After high school, he attended Gallaudet University, a college for the deaf in Washington, D.C., and Lamar University for his master’s.
“We all learned how to sign,” Ellen said. “The rest of our kids (three boys and one girl) just learned it as they were growing up.”
According to his mother, Delgado was around 10 months old when he signed his first words – “water,” “drink” and “more.”
“One of the hardest things was getting him to hear me, because if he wasn’t looking at me, he didn’t know I was trying to talk to him,” Ellen said.
She said her son had some rough stretches through high school, but he had some good teachers. His determination and his father’s encouragement are what got him through the tough times.
“Learning to sign is so important for the parents and family,” Ellen said. (Aaron) has done incredibly well. He’s come through everything. I am very proud of him.”
