so, I'm inventing a sign language for not deaf Adult ADDers
Mar 22, 2016 23:04:59 GMT
via mobile
vagueandrandom and alien like this
Post by anopheles on Mar 22, 2016 23:04:59 GMT
Provisionally called A.L.O.H.A for Atypical/ADHD Language for Organising and Helping Adults.
What I am not doing (this stops most of the mistaken beliefs right off).
Telling people not to speak or replacing speech.
Inventing a complex language like Deaf Sign.
Expecting everyone to learn it.
Using myself as the ur-ADDer or assuming my troubles are your troubles.
Not profiteering. Any net profit (if any) from handbook sales, etc. would be donated to an appropriate charity/adhd fora, etc
What I am aiming at
A left field solution to Social Skill awkwardness among Adults with ADHD and other Neuroatypical people.
A simple sign language that has a soft limit of 35 signs, most of which are combinable and should take less than hour to learn in full.
Something that is designed to help those who worry about hyper or hypo volubility or initiating speech verbally.
Something that makes initial conversation with family, friends, key workers and others less fraught by reducing the initial need for verbal communication.
..
I was advised the other day that since, unlike others in my anxiety group, I have no problems in groups or in crowds but rather in one to one situations, I should look up help for social skills for adults with adhd.
I did. A lot of it is well meaning, but comes across as a very polite and earnest version of try harder.
If I was the kind of person who could count to five before speaking I wouldn't need to count to five.
A lot of it told me stuff I already knew intellectually like we have a tendency to over talk or lose track, etc and a lot of advice boiled down to 'watch out for that'.
I understand that, in the UK, Adult ADHD is a newish field for large scale self help, but I thought that lacked something.
What about signs? Me and the Gf have, over the years, developed a loose few signs that let me know when I'm over talking or when I feel uncertain about adding to a conversation or when I need a minute to organise thoughts.
I did Google to see if it was already being developed and my heart sank when I saw the top link that said 'Adhd and Sign Language'. Luckily, it was the brilliant idea of teaching sign to school kids with ADHD to help them learn a different way.
Nothing for those of us a little past school.
We need an Adult Sign like A.L.O.H.A to help us and autistic people and others who are socially anxious about communicating one to one or in small groups.
To this end I formulated some rough limits.
Must be 35 or less sign gestures
Must be combinable
Must be easy to learn
Must occur in an area between the top of the chest and the waist. This is for people who have limited mobility in lower limbs and people who may have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact.
Must have a One hand variant for people missing a limb/hand or have one hand busy.
Must offer to use hand at midriff level for those who find having their chest stared at uncomfortable.
Must lack complexity to prevent it being used as a total speech replacement.
..
I have the signs I've made ready to type up. I would like frank, constructive feedback on the idea as a whole and suggestions for editing or creating signs.
I have also combined a few for commonish expressions.
They'll be added to the post below this one when I am at home with a solid keyboard.
I really hope this is one of my ideas that other people catch and run with.
What I am not doing (this stops most of the mistaken beliefs right off).
Telling people not to speak or replacing speech.
Inventing a complex language like Deaf Sign.
Expecting everyone to learn it.
Using myself as the ur-ADDer or assuming my troubles are your troubles.
Not profiteering. Any net profit (if any) from handbook sales, etc. would be donated to an appropriate charity/adhd fora, etc
What I am aiming at
A left field solution to Social Skill awkwardness among Adults with ADHD and other Neuroatypical people.
A simple sign language that has a soft limit of 35 signs, most of which are combinable and should take less than hour to learn in full.
Something that is designed to help those who worry about hyper or hypo volubility or initiating speech verbally.
Something that makes initial conversation with family, friends, key workers and others less fraught by reducing the initial need for verbal communication.
..
I was advised the other day that since, unlike others in my anxiety group, I have no problems in groups or in crowds but rather in one to one situations, I should look up help for social skills for adults with adhd.
I did. A lot of it is well meaning, but comes across as a very polite and earnest version of try harder.
If I was the kind of person who could count to five before speaking I wouldn't need to count to five.
A lot of it told me stuff I already knew intellectually like we have a tendency to over talk or lose track, etc and a lot of advice boiled down to 'watch out for that'.
I understand that, in the UK, Adult ADHD is a newish field for large scale self help, but I thought that lacked something.
What about signs? Me and the Gf have, over the years, developed a loose few signs that let me know when I'm over talking or when I feel uncertain about adding to a conversation or when I need a minute to organise thoughts.
I did Google to see if it was already being developed and my heart sank when I saw the top link that said 'Adhd and Sign Language'. Luckily, it was the brilliant idea of teaching sign to school kids with ADHD to help them learn a different way.
Nothing for those of us a little past school.
We need an Adult Sign like A.L.O.H.A to help us and autistic people and others who are socially anxious about communicating one to one or in small groups.
To this end I formulated some rough limits.
Must be 35 or less sign gestures
Must be combinable
Must be easy to learn
Must occur in an area between the top of the chest and the waist. This is for people who have limited mobility in lower limbs and people who may have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact.
Must have a One hand variant for people missing a limb/hand or have one hand busy.
Must offer to use hand at midriff level for those who find having their chest stared at uncomfortable.
Must lack complexity to prevent it being used as a total speech replacement.
..
I have the signs I've made ready to type up. I would like frank, constructive feedback on the idea as a whole and suggestions for editing or creating signs.
I have also combined a few for commonish expressions.
They'll be added to the post below this one when I am at home with a solid keyboard.
I really hope this is one of my ideas that other people catch and run with.