​There was a time when LaMonica Benton said everyone in her home could communicate with her son, Shanon, except her.

“It’s not fair to him because I’m his mom,” she said. “He’s supposed to be able to come to me to talk about whatever is on his mind. But instead he’s got to go through his siblings and vice versa.”

Shanon, 9, was born prematurely and hearing impaired. However, his older brother took American sign language (ASL) classes and his younger sister caught on quickly from watching them. Benton learned some signs from Shanon and her children, which worked for a while, but not long.

“It got to the point where one day he got so frustrated and began to cry because all he wanted was ice cream, and I did not know the sign for ice cream,” she said. “That was the turning point.”

Benton had been saving her money to go to back to college full time to become a pharmacy technician. But the frustration in communicating with her son prompted her to shift directions. She is now on track to complete an associate degree as an interpreter through Lone Star College-CyFair in Texas.

“When I initially started, it wasn’t to become an interpreter. It was because I wanted to learn some of the language to communicate with my son,” Benton said. “I thought once you learned ASL, the language, you were okay and could communicate. But when I started taking interpreting classes, I learned there was difference. You can know the language, but can you put it out there in an effective manner?”

Benton can now converse with her son and help him with school work. She said it has improved her relationship with Shanon, who is less stressed and feels more comfortable going to his mom with questions—and even tattles on his sister.

Aside from benefiting her family, the interpreter program has allowed Benton to better understand people with disabilities, especially individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“Before I learned about deaf culture, I really didn’t feel my son was normal. Now I know more about deaf culture, and I know that deaf people have a hearing loss, but they still accomplish anything in life they set their minds to,” said Benton. “I am the driving force behind my son. I believe we are as normal as anyone else. He does everything he wants—football, baseball, basketball—all the things a normal child does. He just has a hearing loss.” 

After graduating this December, Benton plans to take the interpreting state certification exam and continue her education to earn a bachelor’s degree.