I am doing a show soon where there will be one deaf girl. There will be about 12 children in total & the deaf child is 5 years old.

My show uses a lot of verbal content & music. What can I do to make the show easier for her to understand and participate in? anything?

The only thing I can think to do is try and make eye contact with her immeadiately before the most visual parts of the show.

Make your movement big and easy to understand. If you want them to put the silk in the bag show them with your hand as your talking about it. I did a show where 1/2 the kids where deaf. They acted like they heard every word it was a great show. They luaghed right when everyone else did. I made sure I was very expressive.

I did a show last week at a birthday party. One of the twins boys was deaf. I did my act like Flourish Dude described.

Try to think of a trick you can use the deaf for. I used the break away wand on one of the twins. I used the break away fan on the deaf one. He laughed himself with my comedy.

Andy:
I may be able to help you on this as i also have a hearing loss myself. I wear 2 internal hearing aids at all times and it really helps me to hear quite well again.

Any ways you will just want to slow your actions and speech down a little it and make sure you are looking towards her. Most deaf and hard of hearing people can read lips quite well and this will help her out.

Also, make your magic very visual as much as you can. Try and pantomime more then you usually would.

These little hints should be enough to really make her have a fun time.

All good advice. I would suggest you speak slowly and try to enunciate clearly. Many deaf people are very good lip readers and along with your gesturing they will probably understand everything and enjoy it.

During the course of problem solving, within our posts at The Café, we rarely come across a hurdle as important as this. I appreciate the input from the rest of you on this topic. I've never performed for a deaf audience or individual but had a similarly difficult encounter once.

I performed for a 9 year old boy's b'day party many years ago. He was paralyzed, in a wheelchair, and with little arm/hand movement.

After the show I remained and shared some sleight of hand effects with him. He was thrilled. At one point he said "Hey! if you can do all that, maybe you can make me walk again!"

I grinned and forced enthusiasm on the next effect. I learned much about myself and others that day and the look on his face was like this

That will make a nice movie.

I have a similar story I would Like to share that really opened my eyes real wide. I hope it does the same for you all.

A few years back I was feeling pretty bad about my magic ability and was not sure if I should still do it or what.

I had a magician from the SAM ask me if I could come down with a few others and perform at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia for Magic Week. I said yes although I really was not so sure about it.

We did a nice show for the kids and was then asked if we could perform for some of the kids that could not be moved. I went with a friend of mine into a room with the parents and this young boy. My friend performed a bit and then I did some tricks with rope etc. and had the child hold onto it. It went well and we left the room thinking nmothing of it.

We got in the hall way and the parent came running after us crying his brains out. I was aplogizing left and right thinking we had done something terribly wrong.

The parents said, ( I will never forget this). He said, "No No you do not understand. My son has not moved his hands and arms in over 5 months and tonight he did because you cared enough to entertain him. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

WOW!! I just had to sit down in the hallway I was so emotionally blown over. Here I was feeling sorry for myself and my ability and yet this child, who was far worse then me, enjoyed the simple things I took for granted.

I have been happily performing magic ever since then and always try to don'tate a little of myself and my magic to the kids in need each year. It was a real eye opener for sure.