REACTION paper about the story "MIRACLE WORKER"

 


 This movie gave me a small insight about how deaf/ blind people were treated back in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Annie Sullivan often recalls her childhood which was spent with her brother in a state institution called almhouses. These were disease ridden, rat infested places people got sent to when no one wanted to care for them either because they were disabled or sick and dieing in some way. She talks about how horrid the conditions were and how she and her brother would play with corpses and no one would care. I thought it was sad that people would just assume that because someone is deaf or blind that they are mentally disabled and so easily tossed them aside. It also showed how the people in Helen’s life had let her run rampant because she was “special” and instead of trying to teach she took pity on her. People sometime try to cater to the deaf/ blind by not setting rules or trying to teach them anything because they feel they are ignorant and inferior, and that the most you could expect was to “train them like animals.”
I thought the movie really helped give me insight to some of the hardships deaf/ blind people have to face in their everyday life, and in trying to learn. Helen throws temper tantrums and acts out because she is so frustrated with her situation. Before this movie I had never given much thought to how difficult it might be to understand a concept as simple as things have names.
I would have liked to see more on Helen Keller after she learns to communicate. I know from reading about her that she went on to do a number of great things. She became a prolific writer and activist, and many other pioneering things in the hearing as well as the deaf culture. I felt the movie ended very abruptly once she understood the concept that things have names, and I would have liked to see a little more of how she was taught to communicative and understand words for thins.

How does a person who is BLIND, DEAF and MUTE could learn language?

I was thinking there could be some kind of touch communication. Obviously technology could be used to aide communication. But I'm trying to look for a movie where one characters is blind, mute and deaf  and this movie is entitled "MIRACLE WORKER".


 Sign language is easily learned and gives the baby or person an outlet for communication. When one method of communication isn't available you should replace it with another. If Helen Keller could learn sign being deaf, blind, and mute than any blind individual can.

 

Instructions:

1. • 1
     Begin by teaching signs for basic needs. This will give the individual the chance to tell you what is most important right off the bat. Tell the individual you are going to show them the sign for more. Take their hands and put their thumbs up against their fingers. Now slowly bring both hands together so that the tips touch and then slowly pull them away. Do this twice in rapid succession. Since the individual can hear you want to say the word more as you are helping them do the sign. Then ask them to do it on their own to see if they get it. Babies have been known to learn this simple sign in one hour. Continue teaching all the basic needs such as eat, drink, potty, bed, all done, and bath.
   • 2
     Teach the individual how to sign all their family members. Take their hand and make the hand look like a peacock. Place it straight out and have the thumb touch the individual's chin. Tell them out loud this means mom. Do the same hand formation and place the thumb up against the forehead. Tell them out loud this means dad. Go through all the signs of family members such as grandmother, grandfather, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, brother, and sister. Remember to ask the individual to repeat the signs themselves to make sure they have them down.
   • 3 
     Expand on the basic needs and begin teaching objects. You want to teach the individual objects around the house as well as foods they may eat. This way they can communicate when they want a banana or when they want to listen to the radio. Use the individual's hands to show them how to sign banana. Have them put one hand in to a fist and stick the pointer finger straight up in the air. Now take their other hand and pretend to peel down the banana on all sides of the finger. Now ask them to do it to see if they have grasped the concept. Do this with all household- and food-related items.
   • 4
     Work on teaching the individual action words. These words include but are not limited to walking, talking, playing and cooking. You can hold the individual's hands and help them to face both hands palms down. Now move one hand forward and then the next. Do this a few times and then tell the individual that is the sign for walk. Then ask them to try it to see if they have the sign down. Once they have that action sign they can move on to a new one.
   • 5
     Continue teaching signs to the blind individual as they master previous ones. Always help them do the sign first with their hands and then ask them to do it on their own. There are over 1,500 signs to learn in American Sign Language so learning them is going to be an ongoing process. Just go at the individual's pace and have patience.