People generally take hearing for granted – and equally take for granted the ease with which they communicate through speech and accompanying gestures. For many however, bottom line and basic communication is a profound struggle, and not only for the deaf or profoundly hard-of-hearing, but for those who hear, but cannot speak.
Mobius Inc., in Damariscotta is the only agency in Maine that freely and completely supports all styles of communication, and encourages every client’s basic human right to communicate in their own unique language. That language may be standard English, American Sign Language (ASL), visual-gestural communication, mechanical, or a combination of all four.
Dr. Romy Spitz is a Dept. of Human Services Consultant on Deafness and Non-traditional Communication based out of Brunswick. She travels thousands of miles a year to get to her clients and is a familiar face at Mobius.
Spitz is deaf, uses an ASL interpreter during conversations, and speaks clearly and rapidly. She explained Mobius’ unique client services.
“Mobius recognizes communication other than speech. It is unique because it promotes the full range of communication, including visual-gestural,” she said.
In 1998 a study was conducted to identify communication barriers in the general population, not only with the deaf and hard-of-hearing, but also considering those who hear, but cannot speak.
It was learned the autistic, profoundly speech impaired, and mentally retarded often have the common symptom of muteness, with visual-gestural language the primary mode of communication. However, since visual-gestural language is unique to each individual, a communication barrier exists.
Mike Cousins, also deaf, has been working with Mobius’ clients for 12 years. Cousins assesses and advises professionals on clients’ needs. “Mike’s the top VG (visual-gestural) person in the state,” Spitz said. “He’s a communications trainer; we borrow him.”
Cousins trains Mobius’ staff on how to open the doors of communication with their clients. He explained a special circumstance that happens all too often.
“When a deaf child is born to hearing parents, they can’t communicate; they have to develop a personal language using gestures. The deaf person bears the burden to communicate, not the hearing person,” he said.
He demonstrated how one client gestured the “names” of his siblings. Indicating the eldest, Mike tapped his forehead in a salute type gesture; for the middle sibling, he used the salute gesture at chest height, and for the youngest, he tapped at his waist.
“He was indicating birth order,” said Cousins of his client’s communication style, and the gestures are the “names” he gave to his siblings, rather than using conventional names like John or Kathy.
Later when a child attends a school for the deaf and learns ASL, most often he leaves the visual-gestural communication behind, because “the typical idea is not to teach them using gestures, only ASL. Also speech and language pathologists don’t recognize gestures as communication,” said Spitz.
However, it is this visual-gestural communication that actually can be a liberating link to the outside world.
Through visual-gestural communication, the deaf can engage as consumers in the hearing world. Doing something as simple as ordering a meal at McDonalds is easier using gestures, because the hearing world does not understand American Sign Language.
Spitz and Cousins believe using all methods equals richer and fuller communication. Visual gestures are commonplace. For instance, many easily recognize pointing, nodding, the shake of the head, shrugging or the gesture for “telephone;” using the hand connecting the ear to the mouth.
Mobius Communication Specialist Rebecca Littlehale works with nonverbal clients. “They have fallen through the cracks,” she said referring to speech and language pathological services. At Mobius, the nonverbal can learn using a picture based and visual-gestural communication with Cousins.
Littlehale’s client Craig Parquette is autistic and nonverbal, and uses a Dynavox mechanical voice to communicate. Using the Dynavox keyboard, Parquette types in his questions and answers and thereby communicates effectively. Before the communication device, Parquette was locked in and isolated, but through using the Dynavox, Parquette’s intelligence and inquisitiveness was revealed.
Spitz praised Mobius’ Dave Lawlor for having the insight to recognize the needs of his clients, and brought in experts from all over Maine to help those who have no access to communication. “His vision was to bring them here and train them, and send them out. This is the only place where this is going on, because this is the only place that has Dave Lawlor. He’s everyone’s favorite boss,” said Spitz.
The communication team hopes the community, parents, families, and clients concerned about someone’s communication, or lack thereof, will visit Mobius to investigate options.
Littlehale’s main objective is for more public awareness about how difficult it is for some to communicate. “We would ask that people in the community stop and wait for our clients to communicate. Have the patience to recognize they need time to get their meaning across, and not to do it for them. We are starting to see that,” she said.
“Part of my job is teaching; using every tool to help these people be accepted as part of the community,” Littlehale said.
“It is a human right to be able to communicate; to be able to sit around, talk, gossip, have friends, tell stories, everything,” Spitz said. “Just communicate.”
For information on communication, contact Mobius Inc., at 319 Main St., Damariscotta, or call 563-3511, or visit www.mobiusinc.org. Dr. Romy Spitz’s email is romy.spitz@maine.gov and Rebecca Littlehale is rlittlehale@mobius.inc.
