r/auslan

Hi everyone 👋

I have recently started trying to learn basic Auslan and am looking for some guidance/direction from the community.

I recently had a non verbal patient who communicated via sign language. I lightheartedly spoke to him a little using the Auslan alphabet (all I knew at the time) and he was completely stoked. I was so touched by how much of an impact this had and instilled in me how important and valuable it is to know basic sign. Since then I have been trying to teach myself and my children (9YOF, 7YOF, 5YOM) Auslan.

So far I am just looking things up and revising using the Auslan Dictionary app (such an amazing resource!) and YouTube videos here and there, but feel like I need some more structured learning to help with actually conversing.

Are there any good video series etc that might be helpful for me?

Also - as someone who communicates via sign language, what are some valuable tips for hearing people like myself to know? What can I be doing to better support you?

Apologies if my terminology etc is not quite right - please educate me - I’m doing my best but am very new to this world. So sorry if I have hurt or offended anyone, please know that was never my intention ♥️

Hey all.

I'm seeking wisdom from the deaf community specifically.

I'm studying to be a teacher, and I am doing an assignment on inclusive education.

We have been given our case student - an inspiring young woman with Downs Syndrome. She came in and presented to our uni and told us the things she enjoyed about school, things she struggled with, and how the school helped her.

One of the things she disliked was clapping in the auditorium.
One of the alternative solutions I come up with in this assignment was that the whole school trials no-clapping assemblies, and do the Auslan version, which is like jazz-hands.
I'm getting mixed results over what the sign applause in Auslan is... the Auslan dictionary is saying it's just like clapping, whereas this video from NSW Government shows what I had in mind https://www.instagram.com/reels/C57m_znMHmB/
I am tempted to believe that that the sign I mean is ASL, though.

Anyway, I was working with my aunt who works in inclusion, and she flagged that doing that might be culturally inappropriate towards the deaf community.
I understand why the deaf community is protective over the language, but I wanted to check whether this was something that would be tonedeaf (pun not intended).

Thanks all.