American Sign Language vs Adapted Sports League: the High School Asl Acronym
By Sarah Jenkins
Q1: What is the correct way to sign "high school" in ASL?
A1: High school is signed using lexicalized fingerspelling. Form an "H" handshape at chest height with your dominant hand and smoothly transition it into an "S" handshape with a single, quick pulse. Avoid signing the separate words for "high" and "school" sequentially, as native signers do not use that literal compound.
Q2: Does taking ASL in high school fulfill four-year college language entrance requirements?
A2: Yes, the vast majority of accredited four-year colleges and universities in the United States accept high school ASL coursework on equal footing with spoken modern languages. Always check individual state and university admissions portals to verify specific regional residency requirements.
Q3: What sports are typically contested in a high school Adapted Sports League?
A3: Most state prep adapted sports leagues run seasonal schedules featuring adapted floor hockey, wheelchair basketball, unified bocce, adapted track and field, adapted indoor soccer, and adapted softball. These teams use specialized sports wheelchairs, auditory-cued balls, and modified court boundaries.
Q4: Why is signing "HIGH" and "SCHOOL" separately considered an error?
A4: While understood by context, signing the adjective "HIGH" followed by the noun "SCHOOL" is an artificial English-to-sign literal translation rather than natural ASL syntax. ASL relies on efficient, established vocabulary, and the lexicalized "H-S" fingerspelling has been the cultural and linguistic standard across Deaf communities for decades.
Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.
