Teaching My Baby Sign Language

I started my daughter on basic signs pretty early on. It worked. She can sign eat, drink, etc... But she learned to say those things in a few months she started doing the signs. Hope this helps you.

Y.

M., I taught my son a couple of different signs before he was 1 yo. More, drink, please, thank you, just some basics and I thought it was great. It was easier than I thought it would be so I suggest you go for it. You'll probably only benefit from it, I don't think it will harm anything.

L.

My son was not talking until 22 months, so early intervention suggested teaching him some simple signs. He enjoyed learning it and it was an easy way to communicate with him. He learned things like eat, more, thank you, please, help, etc. But it was enough to understand what he wanted. I think it is a good tool for them not only to communicate, but developing fine motor skills by using their hands more dilberately.

My daughter is 2 and a half, and we started signing for fun in infancy. She still loves it! We go through periods of using it more and less, but overall, especially when she was really young and not very verbal until she was about 2, it was a great help to us! There is a lot of research that it helps increase IQ, by using different parts of the brain more, I think.

I have a degree in Child and Family Studies, Human Development focus, and know there is certainly no harm to this trend, and at best, it gives something meaningful and fun to do together, and helps increase communication and decrease frustration! My daughter gets frustrated with me that I don't know more signs to teach her! Best of luck to you, and check out the board books on baby signs - they are the easiest way to learn a few!

I have read children as young as 9 months old can be taught simple signs and I have taken some classes on the subject as well. Sign language has always been an interest of mine. I am teaching my 8 month old son basic signs, like mama, daddy, dog, etc. I use a sign language dictionary and also the Complete Idiot's Guide to Sign Language, which you can get at any book store. I stick to the basic signs, family, food, things like that and when I talk to him, I try to use the signs as I am speaking, so he learns the relationship between the sign and the word. I would also check with a community college or refer to your white pages, see if they have any deaf or hearing impaired groups in your area who may be able to offer you more insight. Also, if there is a school for the hearing impaired in your area, it may be a good idea to contact them for help and guidance. Hope it works. Good Luck. S.

M.,

abosolutey teach your child sign language!! We taught our grandson sign language and because he could communicate what he wanted and we understood, his frustration level was practically none! We are all starting to sign with our four month old grandson as the sooner they see the sign with the words, the sooner they will start grasping what's going on.

There are some wonderful 'first sign's books and also a great online baby sign dictionary at www.born2sign.com
www.babysigns.com gives a great overview of why babies should be taught to sign.

Also, you should already be looking into early intervention programs for Downes babies, and they will help you with all of that!

M.

I have a four year old austistic boy and when I got him at 19 months all he did was scream for everything and it was causing unbelieveable problems like getting kick off public transportation so I seeked out help from early intention and they put Jared in a toddler group to learn sign and he now is doing so much better commuticating and uses his signs instead of screaming. He now can ask for the things he wants and is learning colors and is alway happy to share what he has learned. T.

Baby signing is AMAZING and 7-8 months is a great age to start. I started signing with each of my children when they were 5-6 months old to make it 'habit' and by 8-9 months they started signing for milk, sleepy, change, no, yes. My 18 month old still signs. It's been shown that babies who sign often show less frustration because they're better able to communicate their thoughts sooner. It's also been shown to expand a child's vocabulary, and children who sign may actually speak sooner. My daughters have all been early talkers using 3-4 word sentences at a year old.

This is a GREAT site that not only describes the signs to you and gives detailed definititions and instances when to use them, but it shows them to you with short video clips. You key in the word you're looking for, and if it's in the database, it brings you right to the word or the closest to it. I used this site to help refresh my oldest dd so that she could sign with our youngest daughter.

http://www.signwithme.com/

Michelle..YES<YES<YES!!! It really does work. I used it w/ my 3 year old and have just started w/ my 4 month old. We just used "more, stop, eat, drink, play"..but by then my oldest was beginning to be verbal. I am also a Special Ed. teachr and will tell you that the more you work w/ your chikld now, the better off she will be in the long run. Signing will give her a way to communicate until she is more verbal and this will REALLY cut down on discipline problems. I urge you to read to her and have her start to help you feed herself, dress herself ( as soon as she shows any interest at all)..it takes more time to have any child do things themselves and we have a tendency to help too much regardless of "special needs" or not. The more time you take to make her independent now, the better off you will both be in the long run. There is also a wonderful program called BOARDMAKER by Mayer Johnson. It creates picture cards which also help greatly with facilitating communciation. If your child in getting any special services I strongly suggest you ask the provider to make you some cards and teach you how to use them!!!

Best of luck!!

S.

M.,

I started teaching my daughter sign language when she about 7 months old. She did her first sign when she was just shy of 9 months old. By the time she was 11 months old she new about 30 signs. All told she learned 65. It was wonderful! I knew exactly what she wanted, which cut out many tantrums due to frustration. The funny thing is, eventually she would try to make up signs, by rolling her hands together, when she didn't have one for something she was trying to tell me.
My daughter was not (she is 6 now.) physically or emotionally challenged. I just wanted a way to communicate with her during her pre-verbal period. It was fantastic. People would comment all the time on her sign language skills. Many thought she was deaf. I would tell them that I was trying to avoid unnecessary frustration, which then leads to tantrums. The usual commment was, "I wish I had done that."
Good luck.

Hi Michelle,
We started signing with our son when he was first born and he was signing "milk" by 6 months old. Now, at 18 months, he has 50 words and 30 signs. Signing was a great tool around the 1 year mark when he had many thoughts he couldn't yet express in words. "More" and "finished" were great at mealtimes. He also can ask for his favortie foods and drinks, or his special bear for sleeping. He still uses his signs now, but he has dropped the ones he know know words for. Give it a try, your daughter will amaze you. We have 2 Signing Time DVDs, but we also just did a lot our selves. Good luck!! K.

Hi,
I understand your feelings. I have a daughter with Spina Bifida. She had a Trach from 7.5 months to 3 years old. So she could not talk or cry out loud. So her SLP(Speech)taught her sign. Kids that age learn really fast. Has your doctor talked about setting you up with a Speech person? I can't say if your daughter will be able to sign because of her downs but I say it's worth the time to try! Try getting her to sign 1 word like eat or bottle. Every time you say it to her sign it as well. It may take time for her to understand so try it for a week or so. My daughter is starting to talk now but she still uses sign. She has over 400 signs that she knows, I wish I knew them all:-) If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me. Good luck
D. P
Vermont

Hi M.

Signing is great! I have used it with a range of children. I used it at special ed camps when in HS and college. As a teacher of regular ed young kids - Prek-1st grade, I used it in my classroom. It was a super tool for communicated to my students at assemblies and such to not have to make any noise.

We started using it with my first daughter when she was around 7-8 months and it took a little while before she got that first sign (more), but after that each new sign came faster and faster. She reached a point where we could show her a sign once and she'd use it. That was followed by her creating her own signs when trying to communicate something with us that she was having difficulties with getting across with words or current signs. She would do this instead of getting frustrated and throwing a tantrum which was wonderful. Usually her signs made sense and it was relatively easy to understand what she was saying. Some older family commented on how she was never going to talk because she did not use very many words early on but used hundreds of signs. She was always within a healthy range for word count according to the pediatrician though. When she did start talking, she basically said all of her sign words and spoke in sentences. We really avoided a lot of misunderstandings and tantrums by using it with her. Compared to her peers, she uses a high volume of words now and forms complex sentences.

We used some signs with my son, but he was much more verbal than my daughter so many times he'd just say the word and learn the sign as an afterthought. It's still helpful if we are not right next to him and we're in a quiet environment - we can use a sign instead of trying to whisper or scream to them. My husband and I even use it with each other if we're across the room from one another and don't want to scream and need to communicate. We definitely plan to continue using it with our children and any future children as well. You basically give your children the gift of a second language by teaching them signs and it's so easy to do. My daught even taught my son a lot of signs.

You just have to stick it out in the beginning and not give up because that first sign can take months. You also need to be observant and watch that you child isn't trying to copy a sign but in their own way that might be slightly different than the way you presented it. Being consistent and using the signs EVERY time you say the word or show the object is important too. The more you do it, the faster she'll pick it up. Doing signs with simple songs is a fun way to learn new ones too.

GOOD LUCK
H.

Hi M. - I have been using the book, "Baby Signs: How to Talk with your Baby Before your Baby can Talk" by Acredolo and Goodman with my 13-month old since she was about 11 months. I wish I had started at the age your daughter is because some signs she just hasn't picked up! But she knows a lot of easy ones, like "more", "eat", "done", and "water". I think it is an awesome program and babies catch on pretty quickly to it. The book is simple and the signs are easy to learn for you as well! I think I might even do a Sign & Sing class with her at our local moms/babies center because I think it's so great! I'm sure your daughter would benefit. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Hi M. If I were you I would try, what could it hurt. You may be surprise by the results. Well I hope everthing works out for you . BUt please try , don't give up.

Hi! I am a social worker, and have worked with many Down's Syndrome children. I have heard about the baby sign language and have heard it helps children to feel less frustrated. Sign language can only expand their communication, as all speech therapists have told me. This does not mean they will continue to use signing instead of expressive (verbal)language, but it can help improve their behavior and when they are ready, you can teach the verbal request or can do so simultaneously (using the sign for bathroom and verbally stating "bathroom"). Around here (in NJ) there is a group called Small talk signs and they have classes. There is lots of info on the internet on this topic. Hope that helps!

M.

Hi M., I'm an audiologist (trained in communication sciences and disorders, with a specialty in hearing disorders)and would say DEFINITELY teach your baby to sign. It does not mean she will not speak, it's just a form of communication much easier to learn and use for little ones. I taught my 21 month-old very basic signs starting around 6 months, and you'll be surprised how easily they pick them up. Good luck!

Hi M.,

My niece is autistic and does not speak. She started learning sign language when she was about 7 (she's 13 now). My sister regrets not thinking to teach it to her earlier. It is so much easier to communicate with her. I also taught my kids the basics (they are 2 & 8) so they can talk to and understand their cousin. If you think about it, it wouldn't hurt to teach your daughter to sign whether she learns to speak or not. It's another way for the family to understand her better and it will be a skill that she would be able to use later on in life.

Hi M.,

My name is Y. and I have a 16 month old baby girl named Taylor. I definitely recommend teaching Amani Ali baby sign language. Not only does it create additional bonding but it definitely reduces the frustration level. She will start becoming familiar with the signs but may not respond for some time. But believe me, she will respond.

I've watched several videos where all the kids are signing and I've had my doubts. But our kids have the same ability and it has been noted that the kids that learn baby sign language may develop better social and language skills in general.

I started signing milk with my baby while she was nursing. Around 9-10 months old she knew how to sign for milk and then banana. I took her to a signing class and then we stopped for a little while as our daily routine changed. Out of the blue a couple months ago she started to sign for more. I was just amazed that she remembered the sign and started to use it when I wasn't even signing. Because of this I am making a true effort to teach her the basic signs to eat, drink, etc. Even though she can now say dada, she just started making the sign for dada too. I can see the frustration level drop and the smile on her face when she does communicate to me.

Right now we are using a dvd and cd from signing time. Their web address is http://www.signingtimekids.org/. The music is great, my daughter really watches the video and has learned a few more words. The CD you can play in the car and sing the words and practice signing away from the video. They have a set of DVD's for babies and then additional ones for as the kids advance and get older. These DVD's have also helped me learn the signs better and interact with my daughter. Watch the DVD's together and just have fun. That's what it is all about.

Again, I highly recommend teaching the baby sign language. Your perserverance and persistence will pay off. I think it is more difficult for us as parents to actually learn the signs and then incorporate them into our daily lives. In the beginning it was a little ackward but you get the hang of it and now I can see the light.

Hope this is helpful.

All my best,
Y.

Hi Michelle,
I taught my son a couple of signs before he could talk, and loved it...it was just so amazing the first time he would use a new sign! "More" and "milk" are the two I remember most. I would just use the signs, each time I used the words with him, and eventually, he started doing them back. There's a series of videos I got from our library that show a lot of the signs, which I think is easier than trying to figure them out from paper. Good luck!
T.

I definately suggest you start teaching her to sign now. My daughter is 15 months and signs pretty well. I would suggest the Baby Signing Time DVD's. They are a God Send. All of my day care children know all of the signs on all of the DVD's just from watching them a few times a week or so. You can go to www.signingtime.com and check out the different products they have. They are wonderful!

OMG!!!! if you havent heard about it already the best signing program ever is called Signing Time...you can look it up online it taught my son who is now 3 but when he was 9 months old he learned it...he is now currently learninf 3 languages: spanish, english & sign laguage...it is the best thing ever!!! good luck

I realize this is an old message however it is a question many parents are asking now. Should we teach our baby sign language? Will it help them to communicate or keep them from learning how to talk?

As an early childhood educator, sign language instructor and student in the Interpreters training program for the deaf, my advice is to absolutely teach children sign language. All children, regardless of age or ability, can benefit greatly from learning and using sign language. It can reduce the frustration a child experiences when they cannot express themselves verbally. It helps children understand expressive and receptive language and increases literacy! It even increases IQ by 12-16 points!

No, sign language will not keep your child from learning how to talk. In fact, it will encourage them to use spoken language!

If you want to know more, check this out www.chattyhands.com

You won't be disappointed!

Good luck
S.

Hi M.! I am a Special Education teacher and new mom. For five years I worked with young children with communication and language disorders such as Autism, and I can tell you that signing can be a lifesaver! When children are able to express even the most basic needs, their behavior is so much improved! It helps them communicate, but also bolsters language development because it helps them realize that they can tell you something and you will respond. It can only help! I've even seen sign help avoid the terrible two's- because the child can tell you what they want or what is wrong, they are SO much less likely to tantrum. From what I hear, babysigns is a good program, it seems to be very popular. Don't get discouraged if she doesn't start signing right away. Most kids don't start signing until about 10-12 months and if your child has any kind of communication delay, it may take longer for her to catch on to the give and take of a conversation. Just keep signing to her, consistancy is key. If you do the same signs for the same things all the time, your daughter will pick up on it more quickly. Good luck!

When I found out that my best friend was having a baby I bought her a baby sign language course. Her son is now a very social 3 year old. He was right on track with learning to talk, and there was never any question that his development was in the "normal" limits. I bought the program for my friend because I wish that I had taught my daughter sign language when she was a baby. My daughter is now 8 years old. She was delayed in her speech and was very difficult to understand. She started speech therapy when she was 4 years old. She still has articulation issues, but is no longer in speech class because the school feels she is within "normal" limits. The frustration that she went through (and continues to go through) is heartbreaking at times. I urge every parent to teach their babies basic sign language, whether they are at risk for a disablity or not. I believe that positive communication at an early age will benefit everyone!

Hi M.
I have 3 kids and taught my second child who is now 3 just the basic signs for "more", "cereal", "drink", "hot", etc. when he was a around 6-8months old. It was great because he could communicate things a bit better to me without the normal frustration of having me guess. Some people are concerned about sign language delaying children's speaking or talking abilities. I however, did not find that this was the case. I find it relieves alot of frustration that normal babies/toddlers have when they are trying to communicate at a basic level. My son learned to speak just fine and on an average time table. I plan on teaching my new baby girl basic signs as well. There are some cool dvds/videos that have other babies doing sign language, check them out, I think Amazon.com may have them or you can google, baby sign language video. Good luck and enjoy your beautiful 8 month old daughter! M. B.

M.,
I definetly think it is worth your time to teach her sign language. I worked with people having special needs for 9 years. Some of them used sign language as the only way to communicate. Good for you!!! Good luck!
J.

I used sign language with my kids and all I did was take the words they use most and sign it. Like milk, eat, please, etc. I started alot later than 8 months and they still use the signs even though I don't anymore. It will take a long time, but be persistent. It really does work.