Indianapolis Parents Use ASL to Bond with Newborn
The Haney family demonstrates how visual communication shapes early bonding for parents navigating hearing loss.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Special Needs
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Would you actively incorporate American Sign Language into your daily household communication?
An Indianapolis father who is deaf recently shared a video of himself communicating with his 2-day-old daughter using American Sign Language. The footage highlights the daily methods the Haney family uses to maintain connection in their home.
Why it matters
For families navigating hearing loss, the video demonstrates how early communication and visual connection establish critical bonds from birth. It underscores the importance of intentional, accessible interaction strategies for parents and infants in similar households.
This viral observation features a 2-day-old infant in an American Sign Language interaction with a deaf parent, demonstrating early visual-based communication. The long-term linguistic and developmental effects of such early-life exposure remain a subject for further investigation.
The players
Robert Haney
An Indianapolis father who is deaf and communicates via American Sign Language, lip reading, and speech.
Maggie Haney
A mother who facilitates family communication through simultaneous use of American Sign Language and speech.
The details
The Haney household relies on American Sign Language as a primary tool for daily interaction, which necessitates direct eye contact between participants to ensure clarity. Robert Haney, who lost his hearing due to meningitis at age 3, utilizes a combination of ASL, lip reading, and speaking to bridge communication gaps. His wife, Maggie, uses simultaneous communication, signing and speaking concurrently to maintain an inclusive environment for their three children, Robby, Mylah, and Matilda.
Timeline
Robert Haney lost his hearing after contracting meningitis at age 3.
The viral video featuring 2-day-old Matilda was filmed in October 2026.
The recorded conversation between father and daughter occurred at 3 a.m.
Health Landscape
The use of American Sign Language for deaf-parented household integration continues to be a vital approach for fostering early infant-parent bonding. This moment illustrates how visual communication structures serve as a primary, effective standard of care within the family unit.
For parents managing hearing loss, this approach highlights the importance of prioritizing visual contact and consistent signing patterns early in infancy. It is worth discussing with a pediatrician how to integrate visual communication strategies if you are navigating similar household dynamics.
The takeaway
Early and consistent visual communication is a cornerstone of connection for families where hearing loss is present. Parents interested in fostering these bonds can explore learning specific name signs that represent personality traits to personalize their home environment.
Further reading
Learn more about fostering communication in Special Needs for families in the Indianapolis area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TODAY.
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Would you actively incorporate American Sign Language into your daily household communication?
