Many parents of deaf children express a desire to learn ASL but find themselves unable to attend traditional classroom-based ASL courses. This curriculum was developed to make it easier for parents of deaf children to learn ASL via the Internet.

Questions to consider:

Why have traditional ASL curricula not met the needs of parents of deaf children?

What problems need to be solved by future ASL curricula?

1. Lack of class availability. Many times there simply isn’t a course available. This is especially true in rural areas and third world countries.

2. Scheduling conflicts. Many parents work in the evenings or weekends. The time that is convenient for the teacher is not likely to be convenient for the parent.

3. Cost. Putting food on the table and keeping the kids clothed takes precedence over the costs involved with attending in-person classes: Course tuition, book fees, videos, gas for the car, wear and tear on the car, plus lost work hours.

4. Lack of time. Driving to and from sign language classes can take up precious time that many parents simply do not have. It is difficult for parents of deaf children to carve out the large blocks of time it takes to "go to class."

5. Limited exposure to the language model. Seeing an instructor once a week is not enough for some parents to successfully internalize new material.

6. Speed of learning. Due to diverse learning styles and abilities, instructor led multi-student courses generally progress at a pace that is too fast for some and too slow for others. This leads to frustration and increased attrition rates.

7. Critical time frame. The first few years of life provide a critical window of language learning. Any delay of language input during the first few years of life is likely to result in a lasting negative impact on future cognitive development and educational attainment.

8. Instructor Qualification: Even if a class is available, another problem arises in that the instructor may not be truly qualified and the student has no way of judging.