Random House Webster's American Sign Language Medical Dictionary [Paperback]

Elaine Costello (Author), Linda C. Tom (Author), Lois A. Lehman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0375709274 | ISBN-13: 978-0375709272 | Publication Date: August 29, 2000 | Edition: 1

New to Random House Webster's successful American Sign Language reference line: the important medical terms a patient or doctor needs to communicate in ASL, clearly described and illustrated.

Whether in a medical emergency or a routine doctor's visit, it is crucial for medical professionals to communicate effectively with deaf patients. Here at last is an affordable and thorough dictionary of medical terms in American Sign Language, which is needed by the deaf and the medical community alike. Over 1,000 important signs for medical terms, including signs for illnesses, treatments, drugs, and anatomy, are defined in English (to avoid dangerous mix-ups), described with step-by-step instructions for making the sign, and fully illustrated with full-torso drawings in this easy-to-use reference book, the first in a series dedicated to special-interest American Sign Language.
The only affordable medical reference in American Sign Language
Every entry includes full-torso illustrations and clear descriptions of how to make the sign
Includes important medical terms, from anatomy to treatments

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

New to Random House Webster's successful American Sign Language reference line: the important medical terms a patient or doctor needs to communicate in ASL, clearly described and illustrated.

Whether in a medical emergency or a routine doctor's visit, it is crucial for medical professionals to communicate effectively with deaf patients. Here at last is an affordable and thorough dictionary of medical terms in American Sign Language, which is needed by the deaf and the medical community alike. Over 1,000 important signs for medical terms, including signs for illnesses, treatments, drugs, and anatomy, are defined in English (to avoid dangerous mix-ups), described with step-by-step instructions for making the sign, and fully illustrated with full-torso drawings in this easy-to-use reference book, the first in a series dedicated to special-interest American Sign Language.
The only affordable medical reference in American Sign Language
Every entry includes full-torso illustrations and clear descriptions of how to make the sign
Includes important medical terms, from anatomy to treatments

About the Author

Elaine Costello, Ph.D., recently retired as director and editor-in-chief of Gallaudet University Press in Washington, DC, the publishing arm of the world's only liberal arts college for the deaf. She is a prominent educator and author of reference works for the deaf, including Random House Webster's American Sign Language Dictionary. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference; 1 edition (August 29, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375709274
• ISBN-13: 978-0375709272
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Elaine Costello has been an educator and author associated with the field of deafness for more than twenty years. For ten years she was a classroom teacher and supervisor in schools for the deaf. She is now the director and editor in chief of the Gallaudet College Press at Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C., the world's only liberal arts college for the deaf.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terminology you need to know!, May 30, 2001

By 

Natalie E. Williams (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Random House Webster's American Sign Language Medical Dictionary (Paperback)

I have been impressed with Elaine Costello's previous dictionary, so when I heard this book was out I was ready for something great! She did not disappoint. This book uses medical terminology to provide signed translations. I have found these to be very helpful. (In fact it helped me to understand the medical terminology better through the use of signs!) I think this is a must have for any interpreter, and beneficial for many deaf people.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars important tool, May 29, 2007

By 

senninmd (TX, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Random House Webster's American Sign Language Medical Dictionary (Paperback)

This book is invaluable for anyone in the medical field who wants to communicate in sign. The medical term is defined and then how to sign the word is described in words as well as illustrated in diagrams. The diagrams are fairly easy to follow even if you aren't very good at translating things into three dimensions from 2 dimensions. I am very glad I bought this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not helpful to medical professionals, June 8, 2011

By 

Mary Cook - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Random House Webster's American Sign Language Medical Dictionary (Paperback)

I have no idea why other reviewers gave this book a "5." I work in an ER and was looking forward to receiving this book, especially since I have only one semester of sign language under my belt. However, there is a lot of basic stuff missing from this dictionary--a result, I imagine, of someone who is not a medical professional putting together a book of medical signs. When I'm doing triage, for example, I need to know a patient's medical history. We're especially worried about cardiac events and stroke, as you would imagine, yet there is nothing listed for "stroke" and nothing for "bypass" or "stents." Even parts of the body are left out: there's no "gallbladder," "liver," "spleen" or "pancreas," for example. Do I assume there are no signs for these and I should fingerspell them? And while "kidney" is included, the written description of the sign doesn't correlate with the picture (if my palm is supposed to be against my right side, why does the drawing show the pinky side of the hand against the right side?). This book is a big disappointment. I don't know who it's intended for, but it's not for folks in the medical field. It's very frustrating finding sign language material for the medical field.