May 21, 2002

Many a parent has wondered at the meaning of their baby’s cries and gurglings. “Is she telling me she is hungry? Is her milk too hot? Is the diaper full?” Questions like these abound, especially for new parents — how can they know?

It turns out that sign language, used for years to communicate with deaf children, and helpful in treating children slow to develop verbal communication, is emerging as another way for babies to communicate their needs before they are able to verbalize them. Recent research is showing that using sign language, along with speech, is beneficial for both babies and parents. Could this be a magic baby interpreter for parents? Perhaps it is!

A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development found that children 10 – 20 months old could learn basic gestures to communicate in meaningful ways. For example, they were able to tell their parents they were hungry or their food was too hot. Better still, the study also showed that babies who used signs also understood more words, had larger vocabularies, and engaged in more sophisticated play than non-signing babies. For parents of these babies, the study reported reduced frustration and enriched parent-infant bonding.

Speech and Language Pathologists have often used sign language as part of a therapy program to help many children learn to talk. A child can see an adult sign the name of an object or action while hearing the corresponding word; this helps the child understand and remember the word and its meaning. Many children who begin to communicate by signing soon learn to say the corresponding words.

The most frequent concern expressed by parents is whether their child will resort to sign language and stop trying to talk. “The exact opposite is true,” explains speech-language pathologist, Margaret Chesterman, “signs can actually help a child to talk. The important thing is to help provide them with a means to communicate. The parent should always say the word along with the sign and when the child is ready and able, he will say the word.”

Parents who want to help their child learn to sign can easily do so. Because most babies gesture before they talk — they point, they reach, they learn to wave “bye-bye” — they can learn simple signs in much the same way. Parents only need to decide on a few signs that they are going to use, then pair the sign with the word and use it repeatedly in everyday situations. And the sign does not need to be the “correct” sign for a word. It is okay to invent your own simple sign, as long as it is used consistently and in conjunction with the word. It is also acceptable if your child’s sign is not perfect as they may not be able to move their muscles well enough to copy your sign exactly. They will improve with practice, so will you. The most important thing is to keep communicating, and to keep it fun for both you and your child.

In addition to local speech-language resource people such as Margaret Chesterman, there are many online sources of information. A web search under the topic found many links including <www.signtoyourbaby.com> and <www.signingbaby.com>. One of these sites told of a five-month old girl who’s parents started signing. The story continues:

“She started with simple words like milk and more, but within months could grasp more complex ideas. During a visit to a aquarium when she was 10 months old, Sophia [the baby]spotted some swimming penguins and signed fish. Her mother corrected her, using sign language for bird. Sophia furrowed her brow and again signed fish. This time, her mother signed bird and swimming. Sophia understood, and quickly responded with the sign for bird. Two months later, Sophia picked up a feather lying on the ground and signed bird hair. Her mother was amazed.”

May is “Better speech and hearing month”.

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Call-out:

“…the study also showed that babies who used signs also understood more words, had larger vocabularies, and engaged in more sophisticated play than non-signing babies.”