About the Instructor

Turiya Levy learned her first sign from the Children’s World Magazine when she was about eight years old. She was captivated and pursued learning American Sign Language in high school and in college. In 1995 and 1996 and recently during the summer of 2008, she worked at the Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro Vermont. She is active in Deaf clubs and is in ongoing fluency training with a private Deaf tutor. She has been teaching American Sign I and II classes in the Rutland Area since 2006.

Turiya has been signing with her three year old son, Miguel,since infancy. Turiya says, “Signing allowed Miguel to show how much he understood and what he was thinking about at a very early age before he was speaking. Still today,signing helps clarify words he isn’t saying clearly.”

Miguel began speaking early. At two years, he was exceptionally articulateable to produce three and four syllable words, utilizing advanced vocabulary and complex grammar. His development supports research that signing with hearing children, rather than inhibiting speech, actually results in earlier speech and higher intelligence scores.

Turiya has an elementary school teaching certification and prior to Miguel’s birth, was teaching fourth grade. She lives with her husband, Marcos, and son, Miguel, in Shrewsbury Vermont.

For more information call Turiya Levy (802) 4923455
or email at turiya@vermontel.net