Ian DeAndrea-Lazarus, PhD, MPH

ALT Hearing friends with deaf family members— many of you will gather with your families tomorrow to eat and spend time together. Do you make sure to check that your deaf family member feels included? Are you aware that many deaf people with hearing families dread the Thanksgiving holiday because it means getting together with the extended family, most of whom did not learn to sign? Hearing parents who can sign tend to use spoken language with other hearing members of the family instead of signing— inadvertently excluding their deaf child from the conversation. This exclusion felt by deaf people with hearing families is called “Dinner Table Syndrome,” which is associated with poorer health (both mental and physical) and quality of life. Would you please make an effort to make your deaf family member feel included and encourage other family members to learn to sign?