Video courtesy KOLN/KGIN 1011 News/Nebraska Central News
Three-and-a-half year old Hunter Spanjer, who is deaf, signs his name by crossing his forefinger and index finger and moving his hand up and down.
To his family, friends and those who know the Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) language that the Grand Island, Neb., boy uses, that gesture uniquely means "Hunter Spanjer."
But to Hunter's school district, it might mean something else. The district claims that it violates a rule that forbids anything in the school that looks like a weapon, reports KOLN-TV .
And Hunter's parents claim that Grand Island Pubic Schools administrators have asked them to change their son's sign language name.
"Anybody that I have talked to thinks this is absolutely ridiculous," Hunter's grandmother Janet Logue told the TV station. "This is not threatening in any way."
Hunter's father Brian Spanjer said, "It's a symbol. It's an actual sign, a registered sign, through S.E.E."
The family told KOLN that lawyers from the National Association of the Deaf may push for Hunter's right to sign his name at the school.
Jack Sheard, Grand Island Public Schools spokesperson told KOLN, "We are working with the parents to come to the best solution we can for the child."
One Grand Island resident said she disagrees with the school.
"I find it very difficult to believe that the sign language that shows his name resembles a gun in any way would even enter a child's mind," Fredda Bartenbach said in the news report.
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I dont get it maybe the parents use SEE but the teachers do not. I can clearly remember (im 41 btw) in grade school teachers correcting us and making us re-sign over again if we left out words (ad, of, is here, there, why, he, she, or, to) we were not allowed to short cut our signing of sentences. I highly doubt that the deaf kids are learnign that in classes or deaf schools.
While many will be lazy and use SEE doesnt mean they dont know how to sign complete sentences.
I have interpreters the only time they start slanging or short signs or cutting out words is if the instructor is a flippin yappin lunatic and they cannot keep up. For the most part, even all my interpreters I have ever had my entire life had all signed complete sentences and did not use SEE.
Quoting Amber5151:I'm not sure about the area specifically in this article but I know in smaller schools/towns for some reason SEE is still used. It is what is used in the town I grew up in (in their school system, my older sister is deaf and my mom is an interpreter there). I think its dumb, lol just use ASL! its the more widely used one of the two!
Quoting FL2AK:
Sorry, I meant that he is being taught SEE instead of ASL.
Quoting disneymom2two:
Quoting FL2AK:
It is ridiculous, but I have to ask why people are going away from learning and teaching ASL.I've always used some ASL signs in my classroom. It's a lot less disruptive if a child signs bathroom and I nod so he knows I saw him and know where he's going than raising his hand, waiting to be called on , asking to go to the bathroom, my saying yes and then him leaving the room. The child's deaf. Why shouldn't some ASL signs be learned? It's another language. It certainly isn't going to hurt anyone to learn some signs.
Quoting thetrollcat:I dont get it maybe the parents use SEE but the teachers do not. I can clearly remember (im 41 btw) in grade school teachers correcting us and making us re-sign over again if we left out words (ad, of, is here, there, why, he, she, or, to) we were not allowed to short cut our signing of sentences. I highly doubt that the deaf kids are learnign that in classes or deaf schools.
While many will be lazy and use SEE doesnt mean they dont know how to sign complete sentences.
I have interpreters the only time they start slanging or short signs or cutting out words is if the instructor is a flippin yappin lunatic and they cannot keep up. For the most part, even all my interpreters I have ever had my entire life had all signed complete sentences and did not use SEE.
Quoting Amber5151:I'm not sure about the area specifically in this article but I know in smaller schools/towns for some reason SEE is still used. It is what is used in the town I grew up in (in their school system, my older sister is deaf and my mom is an interpreter there). I think its dumb, lol just use ASL! its the more widely used one of the two!
Quoting FL2AK:
Sorry, I meant that he is being taught SEE instead of ASL.
Quoting disneymom2two:
Quoting FL2AK:
It is ridiculous, but I have to ask why people are going away from learning and teaching ASL.I've always used some ASL signs in my classroom. It's a lot less disruptive if a child signs bathroom and I nod so he knows I saw him and know where he's going than raising his hand, waiting to be called on , asking to go to the bathroom, my saying yes and then him leaving the room. The child's deaf. Why shouldn't some ASL signs be learned? It's another language. It certainly isn't going to hurt anyone to learn some signs.
LOL dude there are almost very little deaf schools left now. Most parents are keeping their deaf kids home and they are now attending local schools with interpreters or special classes (which I attended btw) designed for the hard of hearing and deaf same goes with college. Most deaf or hard of hearing people go to REGULAR colleges now... yes its a fact.
I have a profound hearing loss, there are currently 12 of us going to college at my state University there is two that are completely deaf. I talk with one regularly as we had the same math class last year. He is no dummie and I think you should give the deaf more credit, again, a lot of younger deaf people and even my age do know how to use a computer. I will tell you right now I learned a lot about Ya alls hearing languages right here in CafeMOM. Thanks to you ladies ;)
As for me i did not attend any deaf school ever. I did have to attend deaf classes in grade school into jr high. High school I had interpreters and tutors because I chose not to go to a deaf school. many hard of hearing AND deaf kids are doing the same.
Quoting Anonymous:
Perhaps you're right. I don't know any deaf people my age. It could be a generational thing within the culture.
Do you go to a deaf college or mainstream?
Quoting thetrollcat:WOW I am sadden by the fact that you actually feel that way about deaf people. Some may not some may, older folks may not care as much, younger folks are more open to learning more about how the hearing speak and things they do say again because of TECHNOLOGY.
I think you are not entirely correct considering i am deaf, in college, and socialize with OTHER DEAF people.
Quoting Anonymous:
Maybe you do. But you seem accepting of mainstream hearing culture. A lot of deaf people aren't. They don't care about English idioms. I've used one before and then had to explain. Like I am aware that Spanish idioms exist. A lot of people around me use them. I don't pay attention or understand what they mean, nor do I care to.
Again deaf people do still have to learn grammar you cant learn it if you are not signing it also. While they may not be dependent on using full proper sentence structure of sign language, doesnt mean they cant.
Most people SEE or no SEE do not sign properly or completely. Even my interpreters do not always sign all words or everything the teacher says. They do speak it though (I can lip read it).
Quoting Anonymous:
Well SEE is still complete sentences, it's just signing like hearing people talk instead of using ASL sentence structure.
Seriously, do you always just assume that because people have a different set of experiences and have derived different knowledge from these experiences that they are somehow less intelligent than you?
Quoting thetrollcat:LOL dude there are almost very little deaf schools left now. Most parents are keeping their deaf kids home and they are now attending local schools with interpreters or special classes (which I attended btw) designed for the hard of hearing and deaf same goes with college. Most deaf or hard of hearing people go to REGULAR colleges now... yes its a fact.
I have a profound hearing loss, there are currently 12 of us going to college at my state University there is two that are completely deaf. I talk with one regularly as we had the same math class last year. He is no dummie and I think you should give the deaf more credit, again, a lot of younger deaf people and even my age do know how to use a computer. I will tell you right now I learned a lot about Ya alls hearing languages right here in CafeMOM. Thanks to you ladies ;)
As for me i did not attend any deaf school ever. I did have to attend deaf classes in grade school into jr high. High school I had interpreters and tutors because I chose not to go to a deaf school. many hard of hearing AND deaf kids are doing the same.
Quoting Anonymous:
Perhaps you're right. I don't know any deaf people my age. It could be a generational thing within the culture.
Do you go to a deaf college or mainstream?
Quoting thetrollcat:WOW I am sadden by the fact that you actually feel that way about deaf people. Some may not some may, older folks may not care as much, younger folks are more open to learning more about how the hearing speak and things they do say again because of TECHNOLOGY.
I think you are not entirely correct considering i am deaf, in college, and socialize with OTHER DEAF people.
Quoting Anonymous:
Maybe you do. But you seem accepting of mainstream hearing culture. A lot of deaf people aren't. They don't care about English idioms. I've used one before and then had to explain. Like I am aware that Spanish idioms exist. A lot of people around me use them. I don't pay attention or understand what they mean, nor do I care to.
Oh yes, i should be able to tell a blind person what it is like to be blind and.......
That was the attitude i was getting from you to be honest with you.
Quoting Anonymous:
Dude, I know there aren't many left. That's part of the reason I was asking.
Seriously, do you always just assume that because people have a different set of experiences and have derived different knowledge from these experiences that they are somehow less intelligent than you?
I am a preschool teacher,and if Even half of my students could sign there name upon entry I would be esstatic.! Now tell me what is the school system going to do about children who watch too much TV unsupervised and come to school playing like many children do shooting guns with their hands?
Have a big school board meeting on how inappropiate they are being?Or suspend them?or Call CPS on the parents /guardians?!
This is Crazy.
The parents shouldn't just file with the Deaf association they should also file a complaint with the American's with Disablities Act against the School for not allowing their child a reasonable accomodation!
I'm OUTRAGES!
Quoting thetrollcat:Oh yes, i should be able to tell a blind person what it is like to be blind and.......
That was the attitude i was getting from you to be honest with you.
Quoting Anonymous:
Dude, I know there aren't many left. That's part of the reason I was asking.
Seriously, do you always just assume that because people have a different set of experiences and have derived different knowledge from these experiences that they are somehow less intelligent than you?
Being a SAHM for the past 5 yrs has made me
- 3lilmonsters88
on Aug. 28, 2012 at 10:55 PM