Improved Communication between young deaf children and their families in Vietnam
- Country:
- Vietnam
- Organisations involved:
Inclusive Education Programme, supported by CBM through a USAID / Pearl S. Buck International grant.
Christoffel Blinden Mission
- Synopsis:
Trang and Binh are two Deaf community workers employed by the government’s Inclusive Education Programme, supported by CBM through a USAID / Pearl S. Buck International grant. They both graduated from the secondary school for the Deaf in Ho Chi Minh City. The job of the Deaf community worker is to facilitate communication and understanding within the “Deaf family”.
Thuan is a bright and energetic eight year old deaf boy. He was envious of his sisters when they brought books home from school everyday. Thuan tore their papers out of frustration and anger. The family used crude signs to order Thuan to help with the housework.Trang and Binh found Thuan sitting under a mango tree playing alone with his colourful marbles. They gave copies of the picture-sign language dictionary to Thuan and his sisters. There was a picture and sign for “marbles” and all the colours. Thuan quickly signed “green” and “marble”. He then pointed forcefully at the pictures and looked accusingly at his sister – she returned the green marble she had hidden!
Thuan was invited to a Saturday Social Day for the Deaf at a nearby primary school where his hearing would be screened. After that Thuan might be able to go a school in a nearby community. The parents were amazed: “How could Thuan catch-up with the other children his age?” The community workers offered to tutor Thuan twice a week using the sign language book and a workbook to prepare older children for school.
Thuan and his family were introduced to the other deaf children from the area – about 40 altogether. They realised they were not alone in the world. The other families had also faced communication and behaviour problems. The other parents said this improved once the children started school and the family learned to sign. Thuan’s mother reported she had contracted Rubella when she was pregnant. Thuan’s audiogram confirmed that he is profoundly deaf and, therefore, a good candidate to learn to sign. Deaf adults tutored the Deaf children individually and in groups on basic pre-primary and primary school skills. Family members were shown ways to encourage speech, sign language and writing.
The Deaf community workers returned to Thuan’s home to begin tutoring him. Two months later, Thuan entered the first grade with another Deaf boy and girl. Each one was placed next to a bright student who was not deaf but was shown how to coach the deaf students. The teachers used some signs and many drawings. The student coaches seemed to know even more sign language than the teacher! Thuan progressed well in school and proudly carried his exercise books home each day.
