Katie Ouding - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Thinking back on her childhood Katie can recall a children's book of signs that was one of her favorites on the bookshelf! But her true love for sign language did not blossom until much more recently. In 2007 when her youngest daughter was born, Katie purchased a baby DVD that taught basic signs. Knowing that friends and family had used signs like "more" and "all done" with their little ones, Katie thought it would be fun to do the same with her daughter. Katie began to search the internet and You Tube to put together a small vocabulary of signs she thought would be helpful in communicating with her child, but quickly found out that she wanted to know more!
When her daughter was a year old she enrolled in a sign class with the Grand Rapids Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS). The more that Katie learned about ASL and deaf culture, the deeper her hunger to learn more grew. After a year of classes at DHHS, Katie enrolled herself in the interpreter training program at Lansing Community College. She is now well on her way to becoming a licensed interpreter and very excited about it!
Katie has continued to share her love of sign language with her children and is now wishing that she had known ASL four years ago when she adopted her first three children from Liberia, West Africa. She can see how sign language can be used to bridge communication barriers with more than just deaf people, but also those who are just learning English, or who are nonverbal due to other physical or mental disabilities. In addition she is seeing first hand how using sign language with her baby has helped her daughter to become an extremely talkative toddler with a large vocabulary! She has also seen how older children respond positively to learning ASL while
volunteering in her other daughter’s kindergarten and first grade class room. The children are so hungry to learn signs and their faces light up when she comes in to teach them.
Katie is very excited to be working with My Smart Hands to have the opportunity to combine her passion for sign language with her other love, BABIES! She has a background in childcare that includes working as a nanny, a preschool aid, a caregiver in several daycare centers and then eventually running her own daycare out of her home. Currently she is working with her husband as a high school youth director at a local church and although she enjoys her relationships with the teenagers, she is thrilled to be working with babies and toddlers again.
For more info e-mail Katie at: KatieO@mysmarthands.com or download our class baby sign class inquiry form to be placed on a mailing list for upcoming classes. Remember to email the form back to Katie once completed.
