| U-Va. Student Develops Simpler Sign Language By Leef Smith Washington Post, Tuesday, May 15, 2001. Deep in study for finals last week, University of Virginia senior Nikki Kissane took a break to check her e-mail. She expected a note from her father. But what she found was startling: a thank-you from a mother in Soldotna, Alaska; congratulations from an admirer in Carlsbad, Calif., and praise from strangers in Monroe, Mich. None has ever met Kissane, but all went on at length, telling her about their autistic or retarded children and the impact her undergraduate work has had on their lives. "I just found your wonderful creation today and I'm so thrilled that I'm getting goose bumps," gushed the mother of two autistic boys who found Kissane's research project -- a simplified sign language -- on the Internet and began using it with her sons. "You have solved a huge problem for us. . . . P.S. -- I certainly hope you got an 'A'!!" Kissane, who is still awaiting her grade, spent 600 hours over 3 1/2 years developing the communication system for nonspeaking children and adults, specifically those with physical limitations because of autism or stroke. With the guidance of psychology professor John Bonvillian, director of linguistics at U-Va. whose earlier research was the backbone of Kissane's project, the 21-year-old pre-med student created a lexicon of 500 signs. The gestures are easy enough for those who are limited physically and cognitively, yet comprehensive enough to act as a language of sorts, she said. Most of the signs are based on simple hand motions -- for example, using one finger or a fist rather than the more complex hand shapes and motions used in American Sign Language. Kissane's lexicon also relies on pantomime, such as a rocking motion for the word baby. "Any person should be able to get the gist of what's being said . . . without much hassle," said Kissane, whom Bonvillian credits with doing most of the work on the project. While attempts to create a simplified sign language have been made nationally and internationally, Bonvillian said that this effort benefited from his research and the work of other U-Va. students who analyzed common errors made by autistic children learning to sign. "This should be easier to use," he said, adding that it will take two or three years, after field tests, to know whether it is a success. For now, Kissane's work has been posted on a Web site, www.simplifiedsigns.org , drawing responses from parents and others who say they have spent years struggling to communicate with their loved ones. Kissane, a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, said she was drawn to the project partly because of her grandfather, who suffered a debilitating stroke when she was young. Later, she watched autistic children struggle to hold brushes in an art class taught by her mother. Kissane culled through more than 20 sign-language dictionaries provided by Gallaudet University, selecting 900 mimelike gestures for consideration in her lexicon. The gestures were tested on a panel of U-Va. students: If more than 70 percent could recall a sign quickly, it was included. About 120 gestures were modified by Kissane to be more recognizable and easier to perform. The lexicon is not intended to be a language, as it lacks linguistic and grammatical structure. Rather, it's a simplified way of communicating with those for whom American Sign Language is too difficult. In the fall, Kissane will start classes at the Medical College of Virginia, leaving the lexicon in the hands of Bonvillian, who hopes to publish the work in the next year. At home in Woodbridge before graduation this Sunday, Kissane said she once yearned to make a difference in someone's life in her career as an orthopedic surgeon but never imagined she would do so as an undergraduate. "I knew I was doing something good, and I really liked my project because I knew it would make a difference," she said, "but I never thought I would see and feel how much good it's bringing to people. I can feel it in my heart." � 2001 The Washington Post Company RETURN |
| A WORLD BEYOND WORDS |
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