Tsutsumani man teaches special needs children and their carers sign language
ALEXANDRA – Tsutsumani resident comes to the rescue of children without speech to help them communicate with their peers and parents or caregivers.
The practice of hiding children with special needs behind closed doors and denying them the freedom to play with other children inspired an Alex man to spring into action to remedy the situation.
Vusi Msomi, who said that after hearing that most of the parents he had spoken to said they keep their mute children behind closed doors because they cannot communicate well with their peers, was inspired to form an organisation for children with special needs.
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He then approached colleagues to buy into his idea and managed to convince five of his closest mates who then came on board to form the Foundation for Special Needs and Youth Development.
“I wanted to ensure that mute children also enjoy their freedom, just like other children and youth. I decided to use the foundation to teach sign language to the mute children, their parents and caregivers and those children [who can speak] in order to enable them to communicate with each other,” Msomi said.
He said he had realised that, at the centre of the problem, was a communication barrier and if that barrier was removed, there would be no reason for parents to keep their mute children behind closed doors and under virtual house arrest.
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One other element in the communication barrier that Msomi realised, was the fact that mute children often soiled themselves, not out of carelessness but due to a lack of communication between these children and their parents or caregivers.
Msomi, a registered male nurse who worked for many years in Midrand, opted to teach the sign language known as Makaton. It originates from the United Kingdom and is simple and straightforward, which any novice can learn and use to communicate.
To differentiate Makaton from the common sign language often seen on TV translations, Msomi said Makaton uses signs that depict a direct issue that a mute person wants or would like to do. For example, if the child wanted to use the toilet, he or she would make a sign that refers to the toilet, instead of a whole sentence to the effect that ‘I want to go to the toilet’, Msomi said to illustrate the difference between the two sign languages.
Details: Vusi Msomi 076 174 1167; svvmsomi@gmail.com
Do you have a special needs child who can benefit from these sign language lessons? WhatsApp your comments on 079 439 5345.
