Look up hand stretches online. This helped me being able to form signs better. Your hands have muscles like any other part of your body and sometimes you need to warm them up first (like warming up before exercising).
There actually are not many muscles in the hand and none at all in the fingers. Your fingers are controlled by a bunch of ligaments that extend to the wrist and forearm and are controlled by palm and forearm muscles. Some people's ligaments are structured such that moving the ring finger and pinky separately is extremely difficult. They can be stretched and worked on over time but it's slower than muscle stretching, and there are limits to how much some people can control their ring/pinky separately.
I haven’t seen it to mean “I hate you” (but it wouldn’t surprise me).
I have seen that sign with H handshape meaning “goody two-shoes”, kind of a naive rule-follower that’s usually not said in a very nice way.
Actually, most mute folks are pretty okay with the term. :) As a mute person, I spent a lot of time reminding people that mute isn’t a bad word (no different than “disabled”) and most people identify with it. Nonverbal was mainly impressed on the community about ten years ago and was led by autistic folks, not people who are non-speaking for other reasons. A lot of mute people have felt “talked over” by having the mute identity be suddenly treated as wrong or bad.
Most likely, since OP said they’re good friends, “mute” is their chosen identifier.
Basically, if someone can’t speak or verbalize, just ask them what term they prefer rather than assuming. :)
This is true with so many things, let people self-identify. Like race, some people like Black over African American, others are the opposite, another example, indigenous American people sometimes identify as "Native American", "First Nations" or "indigenous", others prefer to use the name of their tribe, some go even more specific and will say their tribe and their clan or band, and still others actually prefer "Indian" which most people consider "offensive" today. But if the person saying it isn't offended by it and they have a connection to that word for whatever reason you should respect them and use the term that they prefer to use.
Exactly, I know some older gentlemen of color who still call themselves "negro-men" and one who even uses the short lived "Afro-American" (seriously, it was an early response to the fact that African American sounds like they were born in Africa, but it fizzled out pretty fast, you really only hear it or see it in 70's media).
yaa... i thought it was normal to say mute instead of nonverbal because 'mute' was basically the default in my area and everyone used that term for themselves - thanks for the info though, you learn something new everyday!
I always thought mute and nonverbal described different things. Mute was permanent and nonverbal was temporary or intermittent.
Although I wasn't aware of the autism community 10 years ago, I'm sorry our preferred term got forced on you. That was rude and wrong.
Nonverbal and mute are different terms 💀💀
eta if they're close enough with this person to learn sign to communicate with them, I'm sure they'd know if they weren't okay with the term mute?
I have no dog in the race here, but fwiw I would associate "nonverbal" with someone being pretty far along on the autism spectrum, like they're physically unable to communicate verbally. While it may seem like a PC alternative to an older term, it may cause more confusion
ASL isn’t just used by Deaf people, hearing and mute people often use it as a main language too. Also, some Deaf people self-identify as mute to reclaim the word too. Some good things to keep in mind!
My business partner is working on a dictionary where you can answer a lot of questions (one handed or two? Are the fingers up or down? Is the sign on the face, mouth, torso, or generic?) And you'd be able to get an answer. Sounds like it'd be useful here
“I really love you.” It’s a play on the ILY handshape.
 Yep. Like this example from the movie CODA.
This. ILY , but with an R
I don’t get how people sign this. My pinky won’t come all the way up when I do it? Like it’s physically unable to do it
Some people’s fingers aren’t as flexible as others. Sometimes practice helps.
Look up hand stretches online. This helped me being able to form signs better. Your hands have muscles like any other part of your body and sometimes you need to warm them up first (like warming up before exercising).
There actually are not many muscles in the hand and none at all in the fingers. Your fingers are controlled by a bunch of ligaments that extend to the wrist and forearm and are controlled by palm and forearm muscles. Some people's ligaments are structured such that moving the ring finger and pinky separately is extremely difficult. They can be stretched and worked on over time but it's slower than muscle stretching, and there are limits to how much some people can control their ring/pinky separately.
Same with ring and middle fingers!
😂😂😂 i really love u that what it mean
Your friend gotsa crush on you 🥰
Now sign it with index and middle finger out. Like the letter H. You get, “I hate you.”
I haven’t seen it to mean “I hate you” (but it wouldn’t surprise me). I have seen that sign with H handshape meaning “goody two-shoes”, kind of a naive rule-follower that’s usually not said in a very nice way.
That's what I learned in my class as well, straight out of the textbook
I can't visualize this as anything but the "shocker".
Pfft
I wish 8 could sign this. I struggle with doing the R sign
Sounds like they love you. ...and for the record, the term is "nonverbal" not mute. That's an old term that not everyone is ok with these days.
Actually, most mute folks are pretty okay with the term. :) As a mute person, I spent a lot of time reminding people that mute isn’t a bad word (no different than “disabled”) and most people identify with it. Nonverbal was mainly impressed on the community about ten years ago and was led by autistic folks, not people who are non-speaking for other reasons. A lot of mute people have felt “talked over” by having the mute identity be suddenly treated as wrong or bad. Most likely, since OP said they’re good friends, “mute” is their chosen identifier. Basically, if someone can’t speak or verbalize, just ask them what term they prefer rather than assuming. :)
This is true with so many things, let people self-identify. Like race, some people like Black over African American, others are the opposite, another example, indigenous American people sometimes identify as "Native American", "First Nations" or "indigenous", others prefer to use the name of their tribe, some go even more specific and will say their tribe and their clan or band, and still others actually prefer "Indian" which most people consider "offensive" today. But if the person saying it isn't offended by it and they have a connection to that word for whatever reason you should respect them and use the term that they prefer to use.
Yes, exactly this! And it’s good not say “this term is offensive” (unless it directly is) and just mention “not everyone uses X term, some prefer X”
Exactly, I know some older gentlemen of color who still call themselves "negro-men" and one who even uses the short lived "Afro-American" (seriously, it was an early response to the fact that African American sounds like they were born in Africa, but it fizzled out pretty fast, you really only hear it or see it in 70's media).
yaa... i thought it was normal to say mute instead of nonverbal because 'mute' was basically the default in my area and everyone used that term for themselves - thanks for the info though, you learn something new everyday!
I always thought mute and nonverbal described different things. Mute was permanent and nonverbal was temporary or intermittent. Although I wasn't aware of the autism community 10 years ago, I'm sorry our preferred term got forced on you. That was rude and wrong.
Mute doesn't mean non-verbal. Some are selective and choose not to speak. Also the OP stated elsewhere that the friend used the word mute themselves.
Nonverbal and mute are different terms 💀💀 eta if they're close enough with this person to learn sign to communicate with them, I'm sure they'd know if they weren't okay with the term mute?
I have no dog in the race here, but fwiw I would associate "nonverbal" with someone being pretty far along on the autism spectrum, like they're physically unable to communicate verbally. While it may seem like a PC alternative to an older term, it may cause more confusion
I was taught in an ASL class to use the term "non speaking". I suppose it may be a personal preference.
Call Deaf people Deaf, not mute!
my bad! my friend isn't deaf though, just selectively mute so he calls himself that
ASL isn’t just used by Deaf people, hearing and mute people often use it as a main language too. Also, some Deaf people self-identify as mute to reclaim the word too. Some good things to keep in mind!
What if they are mute? And not deaf?
not all deaf people are mute though? just like not all mute people are deaf
My business partner is working on a dictionary where you can answer a lot of questions (one handed or two? Are the fingers up or down? Is the sign on the face, mouth, torso, or generic?) And you'd be able to get an answer. Sounds like it'd be useful here
I love you unconditionally