LEARNING ABOUT ASL CAREERS

ASL INTERPRETING  Becoming an ASL Sign Language interpreter is a very popular choice for many ASL students.  Why become an ASL Interpreter?  People choose to become interpreters because they love ASL, love Deaf people, and enjoy being exposed to a wide variety of interesting subject matter and experiences. Interpreting is a very fun and rewarding career. You get to wake up every morning and go out into the world and provide a valuable service. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE ASSOCIATE DEGREE REGISTRY OF INTERPRETERS are changing. May need a B.A. degree CERTIFICATION-REQUIRED

CAREER OPTIONS FOR INTERPRETING  VIDEO RELAY SERVICE agencies  Government agencies  Churches  Courtrooms  Hospitals  Schools  College and Universities  Museums  Amusement Parks  Theaters  Job Interviews  Business meetings  Various classes  And More

SALARY  Interpreter salaries can range from $12 to $90 and hour or more, or $10,000 to 100,000 or more annually. You salary will depend on your geographic location (rural areas tend to pay less), education, credentials, amount of experience and what type of interpreter you are. (such as staff, freelance, or agency.

ASL TEACHING  Teaching ASL is another popular career choice for many ASL students.  WHY become an ASL teacher?  More and more people are becoming interested in learning ASL- and someone has to teach others learn and come to love American Sign Language.  There is also severe shortage of qualified ASL teachers in the U.S. Once you are certified to teach ASL, chances are that you will not have difficulty finding an open teaching position. EDUCATION:  A four year degree in ASL or Deaf Studies from an accredited college or university  An ASL teaching credential  ASL teaching certification from the ASL Teacher Association  Master’s or Doctorate Degree in ASL or Deaf Studies (if you plan on being a professor at a university) CERTIFICATION The ASL Teacher Association is an organization sponsored by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) that evaluates and certifies ASL Teachers.

CAREER OPTIONS  Teaching ASL classes at a public or private school  Teaching community college ASL classes  Being a Professor of ASL at University  Giving private ASL lessons  Leading baby sign language classes  Being professional ASL tutor  Teaching an interpreter training program  And more!

SALARY  The average teaching salary is $51,000 for secondary school teachers, $56, for post secondary school teachers and as much as $99,000 for professors. The salary of ASL teachers depends mostly on where you’re teaching, your education, your credentials, your certification, and your experience.

DEAF EDUCATION  Many ASL students fall in love with ASL and want to work with kids. Choosing deaf education as a career is a great way to work with both of these. This is also a very popular career choice for deaf people who want a career in ASL.  Why become and educator for the deaf? Working with deaf is a very noble and rewarding profession. 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Too often, deaf children are put into programs that do not sufficiently support their education and learning styles. These children are in need of experienced and skilled educators so that they can learn successfully. EDUCATION A four year degree in ASL or Deaf Studies An American Sign Language or Special Education teaching credential A Master’s Degree in Special Education with a focus on Deaf Education

CAREER OPTIONS  Early Intervention programs  Pre-school  Elementary School  Middle School  High School  College or universities (e.g. Gallaudet, CSUN or NTID)  Adult Education  Deaf-blind programs  Residential schools for the Deaf  Home School Instruction  Public schools in self-contained classrooms  Public school in mainstream settings.

SALARY  The average salary of special education teachers is $47,000. However, as an educator of the deaf, you salary will depend mostly on your location, your education, and where you are teaching.

DEAF COMMUNITY  ASL students who wish to have a career helping people while using ASL normally begin career in deaf community services. EDUCATION The education necessary for your career depends mostly on you position. Positions may require a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in ASL or Deaf Studies and/or a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the field of your position. Even if these degrees are not required for your position, obtaining them will give you a more competitive edge.

CAREER OPTIONS  Social worker for the deaf and hard of hearing  Deaf advocacy  Psychologist at a school for the deaf  Deaf college counselor  Deaf and hard of hearing specialist at a vocational rehabilitation agency  Specialist at a state commission for the deaf and hard of hearing  And more

CAREER OPTIONS Professional who know ASL and are able to communicate with the deaf clients are always needed. Here are some popular choices  Social workers  Psychologists  Mental health professionals  Physicians  Police officers  Fire Fighters  Federal, state, and local government agency workers  Human services  College counselors  And more!

AUDIOLOGY An audiologist is a medial professional who deals with problems of the ear. Audiologist diagnose and prescribe solutions for hearing and balance disorders which can be (but aren’t always) technical or pharmaceutical treatments. Why become and audiologist? Not many ASL students decide to become audiologists. The reason for this is usually that once ASL students learn about Deaf Culture, they see how audiologist tend to b audist* and believe the pathological/medical view of deafness. I added audiology to this list because I believe it is important to have more audiologist in the world who know Asl and support Deaf culture.

LICENSING  In the U.S., all audiologist are required to be licensed. The licensing requirements vary by state, but all states require at least a master’s degree. Most states also require continuing education in order to renew the license.

CAREER OPTIONS  Clinics  Hospitals  Your own private practice  Medical equipment manufacturers  Schools  Healthy and personal care stores  The state and local government  And more!

SALARY  The salary for audiologist can range from $40,000 to 90,000 a year or more.

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY Speech-language pathologists are sometimes called speech therapists. They evaluate, diagnose, and treat disorders related to language, speech, voice, cognitive-communication, fluency, and swallowing. Speech-language pathologists work with people who cannot speak or cannot speak clearly, those with voice disorders, or with speaking rhythm and fluency issues, people who want to change their accent, those with issues producing and understanding language or with cognitive communication issues, and people who have difficulty swallowing. Why become a speech –language pathologist? Surprisingly, there are a lot of ASL students who move on to work in the speech-language pathology field. This is surprising because, like audiologists, many speech-language pathologist are audist and believe in the pathological/medical view of deafness.

CAREER OPTIONS To become a speech-language pathologist, the highest level of education you will most likely need to achieve is a master’s degree in the field.  Educational services  Offices of other health practitioners  Hospitals  Nursing care facilities  Home health care services  Outpatient care centers  Individual and family services  Child day care centers  Your won private practice  And more!

SALARY  The salary for speech-language pathologist can range from $40,000 to $90,000

WORK CITED Start ASL Present “Don’t Just “Sign”…COMMUNICATE”: A Student’s Guide to ASL and Deaf Community by Michelle Jay 2011