ASL Classes for RSD Families
Welcome! Rochester School for the Deaf is pleased to offer American Sign Language (ASL) classes for the families of current RSD students. RSD is proud to support families as they learn ASL as an important part of your child's growth and development. We strive to support your family to have meaningful and open communication with your Deaf or hard-of-hearing child, so they can blossom linguistically, socially, and emotionally by having an accessible visual language at home, at family events, and in interactions in the Deaf community.
We offer three 8-week course sessions per year in fall, winter, and spring.
Check-in begins at 5:30 pm on the first night of classes in Lyon Hall. Parking is available in Lots A and C.
Winter 2026 RSD Family ASL Evening Classes
Registration is now open.
ADULT CLASSES
RSD Family ASL 1: Tuesdays, 6:15 pm- 7:15 pm in-person class
Teacher: Guillaume C.
Dates: 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24
Teacher: Guillaume C.
Dates: 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24
RSD Family ASL 1: Tuesdays 6:15 pm- 7:15 pm on Zoom
Teacher: Arooj A.
Dates: 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24
Teacher: Arooj A.
Dates: 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24
RSD Family ASL 2: Wednesday, 6:15 pm- 7:15 pm in-person class
Teacher: Guillaume C.
Dates: 01/28, 02/04, 02/11, 02/25, 03/04, 03/11, 03/18, 03/25
The RSD family must complete ASL 1 at the beginner level.
Teacher: Guillaume C.
Dates: 01/28, 02/04, 02/11, 02/25, 03/04, 03/11, 03/18, 03/25
The RSD family must complete ASL 1 at the beginner level.
RSD Family ASL 2: Wednesday, 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm on Zoom
Teacher: Arooj A.
Dates: 01/28, 02/04, 02/11, 02/25, 03/04, 03/11, 03/18, 03/25
Teacher: Arooj A.
Dates: 01/28, 02/04, 02/11, 02/25, 03/04, 03/11, 03/18, 03/25
RSD Family ASL 3: Thursday, 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm in-person class
Teacher: Guillaume C.
Dates: 01/29, 02/05, 02/12, 02/26, 03/05, 03/12, 03/19, 03/26
Teacher: Guillaume C.
Dates: 01/29, 02/05, 02/12, 02/26, 03/05, 03/12, 03/19, 03/26
RSD Family Class HandShape and Classifiers: Thursdays 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm on Zoom
Teacher: Corrie B.
Dates: 01/29, 02/05, 02/12, 02/26, 03/05, 03/12, 03/19, 03/26
Teacher: Corrie B.
Dates: 01/29, 02/05, 02/12, 02/26, 03/05, 03/12, 03/19, 03/26
SIBLING CLASSES
All Sibling Classes will be held on Tuesdays, 6:15 p.m.- 7:15 p.m. in person
Dates: 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24
Dates: 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24
Class for Ages: 4-6 years old
Teacher: Emma V. Balderas
Teacher: Emma V. Balderas
ASL Group 1 - geared toward children who have older deaf siblings or are CODA
Teacher: Corrie Ballentine
Teacher: Corrie Ballentine
ASL Group 2 - geared toward children whose siblings are in the ECC program or are generally new to RSD.
Teacher: Hayden Orr
Teacher: Hayden Orr
CLASS LEVELS
Family Level 1
This is a beginner’s level class designed for family participants age 12 and up with little or no previous knowledge of ASL. This level focuses on the development of communicative skills involving signing comprehension and production that includes: fingerspelling, vocabulary, basic ASL sentence structure, common phrases, and two-way dialogue conversations. Awareness of Deaf culture and community is also included.
Units include the following topics:
Family Level 2
A continuation of Family Level 1, this class focuses more on fingerspelling fluency and reception, vocabulary expansion, extended sentence structure, common everyday phrases, and increased class participation dialogues. Additional topics will be shaped by family requests, as well as ASL rhythm and awareness and class discussion on Deaf culture. Age 12 and up.
Units include ASL grammar including adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verb as well as the following topics:
Family Level 3
In ASL Level 3, families will move beyond basic and intermediate signs to develop more natural, expressive, and grammatically accurate ASL. Emphasis is placed on storytelling, detailed conversations, emotions, problem-solving, and everyday family interactions. Parents and family members will learn how to support their Deaf child’s language development while building stronger connections through meaningful communication.
In this class, families will learn to:
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- Use more advanced ASL vocabulary and sentence structures
- Improve conversational flow and comprehension.
- Express emotions, opinions, and explanations clearly.
- Understand and use ASL grammar, facial expressions, and body language more effectively.
- Communicate confidently in real-life family and social situations.
- Support their Deaf child’s language growth at home.e
ASL Level 3 is ideal for families committed to creating an accessible, supportive, and language-rich environment for their Deaf child. The RSD family must complete ASL 1 and 2
Family Level 4
ASL Level 4 is an advanced course designed for families and learners who have completed ASL Levels 1, 2, and 3. This level focuses on mastering ASL handshapes and classifiers to improve clarity, accuracy, and expressive storytelling.
The family will learn how to use classifiers to describe people, objects, movement, size, shape, location, and actions in space. Emphasis is placed on visual description, spatial grammar, and non-manual markers to create more natural and fluent ASL. Families will gain skills to better understand and communicate detailed information with their Deaf child in everyday situations.
In this class, families will learn to:- Use a wide range of ASL handshapes accurately
- Apply classifiers to describe people, objects, and environments.
- Show movement, direction, and placement in space
- Improve storytelling and descriptive skills.
- Increase fluency through visual-spatial communication.
- Understand how classifiers support Deaf children’s language development.
Siblings Class
We are thrilled to offer sibling classes for all children under 12. The design for the siblings class is to focus on basic development of communicative skills and vocabulary, including favorite hobbies, colors, food, outdoor activities, and much more. We will offer in-person classes that coincide with the family classes.
REGISTRATION & FEES
Books may be purchased when registering for pickup at RSD or ordered online directly through Amazon or the vendor of your choice.
Immediate Family
NO FEE is charged for RSD students' immediate family members (parents, legal guardians, grandparents & siblings) aged 12 and up. RSD assumes the costs for immediate family members.
Extended Family
A fee of $135 per person is charged for extended family members (aunts, uncles, cousins) aged 12 and up.
ASL STORYTIME VIDEOS
Our good friends at RSD's Early Childhood Resource Center have created a beautiful series of storytime videos to share in the joy of reading and ASL with your family.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I pick up my book for class?
What should I bring to class?
What is the refund policy?
Is there a minimum enrollment?