Choosing ASL as a foreign language for application towards a future career
is a wise choice for many students, but what if ASL wasn’t so much a wise
choice, but instead a strong need just to fulfill high school graduation or
college entrance requirements? This is the reality for a segment of the
student population with dyslexia.
It’s widely accepted that approximately 15% of the population has dyslexia.
Dyslexia is relatively common, with dyslexics enrolled in nearly every high
school in the country. A school that is truly committed to these students will
provide foreign language accommodations in one form or another. ASL is
not just an accommodation to dyslexic students, it’s an opportunity!
Many people with dyslexia have challenges with the sounds (phonemes) of
a language, as well as the written form. If these students have challenges
mastering their primary language, it goes without saying they’re at a
significant disadvantage to learning a second language.
