James<p>Two questions about engaging with <a href="https://expressional.social/tags/BritishSignLanguage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BritishSignLanguage</span></a></p><p>1) Are there any resources out there that would allow someone to learn <a href="https://expressional.social/tags/BSL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BSL</span></a> without signing up to or attending a class either in person or virtually? I would love to learn properly but do not have the time to dedicate. (I am also probably autistic and would struggle with the whole 'being present' thing.)</p><p>2) If you identify as <a href="https://expressional.social/tags/autistic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>autistic</span></a> (<a href="https://expressional.social/tags/ActuallyAutistic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ActuallyAutistic</span></a>) and are learning a sign language, whether BSL or not, how do you cope with eye contact? Eye contact is an important part of sign languages, and in BSL (at least) has grammatical function. As it happens, the BSL sign for 'autistic' is of two V-shaped hands (✌️) with fingers pointing at each other, hands horizontal and waving around slightly, while the signer's eyes look down and away from the viewer. This handshape is often associated with the eyes, reading or sight, and the sign implies the difficulty some autistic people can have with making and maintaining eye contact.</p>