My child has a developmental delay, autism, apraxia, or another diagnosis – will sign language help?
(This post is the 2nd in a series of 2 posts by this therapist addressing sign language)
Teaching signs to a child who has a developmental delay or a language impairment such as autism or childhood apraxia of speech can be helpful for increasing communication and decreasing frustration. After all, using signs to communicate is much more effective than having no way of communicating at all! After the initial speech-language evaluation, a speech therapist may begin teaching a child with limited verbal skills to sign by choosing 1 sign to start with, and adding more signs as the child learns the cause-and-effect of communicating with signs.
From here, the course of therapy truly depends on the individual child. For many children, the use of signed words helps verbal skills come along. In addition to or in lieu of signs, the therapist may implement an augmentative/alternative communication approach.
Is signing right for your child? For the short term? For the long term? There are many factors that a speech therapist takes into account when deciding whether or not to teach signs to a child. Feel free to contact a speech therapist at either of our Charlotte offices – we’ll be glad to hear your concerns and answer your questions.
Powered by Compendium
Comments for My child has a developmental delay, autism, apraxia, or another diagnosis – will sign language help?