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Historically, we think of sign language as something that is used by members of the Deaf community. More recently, however, all kinds of articles, books, and videos are being advertised to parents of babies and toddlers, encouraging them to teach their children “baby signs” as a means to assist language development.    After talking with parents all over Charlotte, it seems the “more” sign has become a universal “first word” for babies!

Why should I sign with my baby? I want my baby to talk, not sign.

It’s important to understand that using signs helps verbal communication come along. Signs are a precursor to verbal communication, just as pointing and reaching are precursors to verbal communication. Signing with your baby will not keep him or her from talking because, once your child is able to speak, saying words will always be faster and more efficient than signing the words.

How exactly does signing help my baby’s language development?

A typically-developing baby should say his or her first word right around 12 months of age. Babies who are familiar with a handful of signs that are used consistently by the parent may sign their first word as early as 8 months of age, and understand what the signs mean even earlier. Plus, every time the parent signs a word while saying the word, the baby experiences multi-modal learning – the baby hears the word with his or her ears, while seeing the sign being made with his or her eyes. Being able to hear and see the word at the same time (rather than hearing the word only) helps to ingrain that vocabulary word in the baby’s mind.

I’m interesting in signing with my child. How many baby signs do I need to teach my child?

Not as many as you think. I met a toddler recently who can sign hundreds of signs when asked, and I know other toddlers who sign only 2 or 3 signs. The number of signs doesn’t seem to matter nearly as much as the  fact that the act of signing provides such a great visual or gestural aide for learning language. If you begin with a handful of common signs (for example, “more,” “milk,” “ball,” and “mommy”), and use those signs as you’re talking throughout the day, it's a great start. As your baby grows and begins to sit up independently, reach, and point, you can teach your baby more directly by helping his or her hands to make the sign.

My child has a developmental delay, autism, apraxia, or another diagnosis – will signing help?

My next post will address how speech-language pathologists use basic signs very frequently in order to increase communication (and decrease frustration!) in children with speech and language difficulties. Check back soon!