Sign language and young children

When my younger son was very small, I was taking a class in American Sign Language and decided to teach him several signs to help him communicate with me and his dad.

Because he was a little less than a year old, my son’s speaking vocabulary consisted mainly of incomprehensible gurgling, and I wondered if my pre-verbal child could communicate with something other than words to let me know what he was thinking.

I quickly found that sign language and babies are made for each other.

Even though his verbal sentences were little more than “geba” (“get my bottle”) or “kere” (“come here”), he could sign complete ideas, putting together the signs for “more cookies,” “I want go park” or “I want see book.”

The ability to discern what my son wanted made it a lot easier on all of us, because we did not have to guess and he did not have to feel frustrated that no one could help him.

Since that time I have learned that many parents use sign language to help their babies communicate with them.

Babies and toddlers can make simple hand shapes, and even if she can’t quite coordinate her tongue and lips and jaw to speak yet, a little one can make the sign for “potty” or “apple” or “hug.”

One of the best things about teaching babies to sign, say advocates, is that it can reduce the frustration they feel when they’re not understood.

When your little girl can easily and quickly let you know that she is tired and wants a nap or wants to have a banana, it can reduce the stress on her and you.

Some worry that teaching sign language will cause verbal development to be delayed, but The American Academy of Pediatrics has said that when parents and caregivers use words as well as signs there is no discernible language delay.

In fact, studies have shown that children who are taught to sign as babies have a larger vocabulary at 18 months than other children.

If you are interested in more information about teaching sign language to your baby, there are several Web sites that you can peruse: the site http://www.aslpro.com has a baby dictionary with signs specific to babies. You learn by watching video on the site.

Then, http://www.lifeprint.com has “Baby’s first 100 signs,” illustrated by drawings and photos.

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