To Sign or Speak: The KODA Question
Parents who are deaf face a dilemma - to speak or to sign with their hearing children?
The key seems to be, as always, communication - whatever it takes.
Short for Kids of Deaf Adults, KODAs are hearing children who have at least one Deaf parent. They may also have Deaf or hearing siblings and other relatives. Depending on their exposure to ASL and the Deaf community, KODAs grow up with varying levels of ASL fluency. How well they sign can have a profound long-lasting impact on their relationships with their parents. Ensuring that they learn to sign can be a challenging task for parents.
