Learning sign language at 18 months a huge help for her son, mother says

Increased government funding is coming to help more Hawke's Bay families of deaf toddlers and preschoolers enrol in the First Signs programme.

An additional $2.8 million from the Ministry of Education will allow Deaf Aotearoa to expand the New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) teaching service with additional resources for more rural regions.

Deaf Aoteaora chief executive Lachlan Keating said they can currently only support fewer than 20 per cent of Kiwi families with deaf children under 5 years old, which is well behind international standards.

"We'd love to see NZSL thriving in communities all around the country, and for that to happen we need more First Signs Facilitators on the ground," he said.

Anita Starnes of Napier said the programme has been amazing for her 18-month-old son Axl.

It was one of the resources offered to her and her husband Brenton when they were told Axl had profound hearing loss in his right ear, and moderate to severe loss in his left ear.

Axl's hearing aid helps but he still needs to sign and has learned over 50 words in NZSL, with his parents learning around 200 each. Photo / Warren Buckland

"We took every bit of help that we could get.

"Axl was our first real introduction into a hearing-loss or a deaf person," Starnes said.

Axl started with their deaf-assistance facilitator Cheryl when he was 3 months old, and Anita said it all clicked instantly.

"Cheryl comes into our home and it's not like a structured lesson; it's very much tailored to what we're doing in our home at the time, our family can join in too if they want," she said.

Since then Axl has learned more than 50 words in NZSL, with his parents learning around 200 each.

Starnes said Cheryl also serves as a deaf mentor for Axl, someone who can relate to him.

"She's shared her experiences as a child with her hearing loss and it gives us a better understanding of what Axl's going through," she said.

Axl has two hearing aids, but NZSL is his preferred way to communicate.

"The hearing aids don't fix it. They help him a little bit, but they basically amplify every sound," Starnes said.

He can't have them all the time either, whether it's swimming lessons, bathtime or hearing fatigue that rules them out.

"There'll be times when he pulls them out and he just needs a break," Starnes said, adding that NZSL allows him to communicate throughout it all.

"I never want to have to tell Axl that I'll tell him what's going on later.

"I want him to be a part of the conversation and First Signs is amazing and helps us be able to do that."

Starnes said it is nice to meet up with local families with children of similar ages who have hearing loss and be able to relate to each other.

She added that NZSL is also becoming embraced by the wider public, for example, at the music group Kanika ni Kids she and Axl attend in Pirimai each week.

"They put sign language into the songs, and when it was Sign Language Week we taught everyone how to say 'please', 'thank you' and 'good morning'," Starnes said.

"It makes all the difference to the deaf community for every person that embraces it. You can see Axl's face light up when someone signs something to him."

Starnes suggests families do what she and Brenton did and take every bit of help that is on offer, including the First Signs programme.

"If families are unsure about it, they shouldn't be.

''Sign language is only going to help their child, it will in no way hinder them," she said.

"Using sign language increases their ability to communicate and I definitely would recommend it to any family that has a hearing-loss diagnosis."

With 200 deaf babies born each year, New Zealand is home to about 4500 deaf people and 20,000 Kiwis who regularly use NZSL.