MEDIA ADVISORY/ PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Children with disabilities find their voice using Signing Time: Students and Families invited to meet Rachel Coleman, host of Signing Time
MEDIA STORY: Imagine your child, who could say nothing because of a disability, all of a sudden had a voice. When Jacob Chambliss was 30 months, he was diagnosed with severe Apraxia. When Jacob was 35 months old, he was diagnosed with Autism. His parents, Kelly and Caroline were told that he would never speak, and wondered if he would ever have a future full of memories – playing high school sports, going off to college, being married, having children.
Before they found out he also had Autism, Jacob’s parents wondered what they could do to help him. Combined with intense speech therapy, it was recommended that they use sign language to communicate with him. That is when they were introduced to Signing Time.
Signing Time is a DVD series that teaches American Sign Language (ASL) as a means to communicate with children of all abilities, including children who have special needs.
Coleman, co-creator of Signing Time, is also the mother of two daughters with special needs - one deaf and the other born with spina bifida and cerebral palsy. By learning to sign early in life, both little girls now successfully communicate in English and ASL.
Within three weeks, Jacob had 75 signs and within five weeks he knew 200 signs. Kelly Chambliss relates a story about Jacob. Not realizing how much ASL would ‘save his life,’ she recalls that one day Jacob signed “hurt” and pointed to his ear. She took him to the doctor where they said he had a slight ear infection. “I started to cry. The doctor looked at me with a surprised look that said, ‘Really, it’s not that bad.’ All I could say as I held my son was, ‘I know doctor, but he told me!’” said Chambliss.
Jacob is just one child of many who have benefited from Signing Time. On Monday, October 13th, Rachel Coleman will make a surprise visit to Jacob’s preschool; which he attended for three years. He is now attending Eaton Elementary School, where he is a mainstreamed kindergartener. Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Rachel will hold a special Signing Time story hour at the Child Development Center where children of all abilities will learn the value of using ASL to communicate.
Families and children will also have the opportunity to meet Rachel, ask questions and show off their signs during a separate meet and greet at the Northeast Branch Library from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. that same evening. Media are invited to attend either event to witness this inspiring story.
WHERE/WHEN: First Event with Children – Begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Child Development Center located at Princess Place Dr, Wilmington, NC 28405 (restricted to CDC students only)
Second Event: Meet and Greet – Begins at 3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. at the Northeast Branch Library located at 1241 Military Cutoff Rd, Wilmington, NC 28405(open to the Public)
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ABOUT SIGNING TIME & TWO LITTLE HANDS PRODUCTIONS
Signing Time is a captivating and entertaining DVD series produced by Two Little Hands Productions. Signing Time was created to make American Sign Language fun and easy for children of all ages and abilities. Two Little Hands Productions also produces the popular Baby Signing Time DVDs and CDs that have played a prominent role in the recent “baby signing” trend. For more information, please visit www.signingtime.com.
For more information, please contact Lindsey Blau at 801.502.8534 or email lindsey@signingtime.com
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