The Frederick County Guide Spring 2016 | Page 14

CO MM U N IT Y ASL HELPS PARENTS COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR BABIES BY ADRIENNE KING, M.S.ED Signing with your baby is the idea of using Sign Language, American Sign Language (ASL), or manual sign systems to support communication with babies and toddlers. The idea is that when parents and caregivers use signs with babies, the babies will start to learn the signs and use them to communicate as well. Babies will use the signs to support their communication, not to replace spoken language. Many parents have found this form of communication to be beneficial. Here’s more information about baby ASL: Q: It is cute to see a baby signing, but what is the point? Is there a benefit? Research has shown that babies develop the ability to move their hands (i.e. the ability to produce signs) much earlier than they develop their vocal processes (i.e. the ability to produce words or speak). On average, babies start speaking at about 10 to 12 months of age, but start signing at about 8 to 10 months. By providing babies with the tools necessary for this manual communication, babies will be able to offer their parents, families and caregivers insight into what they need and want earlier than they would be able to talk. This provides a huge benefit to families. Babies can use signs to communicate exactly what they need before they become frustrated and cry or melt down. The time used signing and the lack of frustration for parent and child also helps promote bonding. Babies that sign often have larger vocabularies at a younger age and there are some preliminary findings that IQ scores are positively affected. Q: Will this delay my daughter’s speech? I want her to talk, too! Research by Goodwyn, Acredolo, and Brown (2000) shows that babies that sign actually speak sooner and with larger vocabularies. Using ASL is using language, so you are starting her language production sooner. By the time your daughter is able to start speaking, she will already know so many words and concepts from signing that when she begins to speak her language development will already be ahead. Q: Is this just a new fad? No, researchers such as Dr. Joseph Garcia and Dr. Linda Acredolo have been studying the effects of using sign language with hearing children since the 1980s. Some of their programs and curricula have been taught since then. There are also accounts that say this concept goes back to a researcher in the 1800s that noticed Deaf children with Deaf parents were signing to their parents and able to communicate much earlier and with larger vocabularies than 14 FREDERICK COUNTY GUIDE | SPRING 2016 hearing children with hearing parents at the same age. This phenomenon went largely unstudied until the 1970s. Q: There are so many books and programs options out there, which one do I choose? There are a lot of programming options. The Frederick area is a great place to see and learn American Sign Language, (ASL) which is a full, natural language. Using a natural language like ASL with your child offers him the opportunity to have a base to build on later if he decides to continue to learn later in life and become bilingual. There are invented sign language programs for babies, such as Baby Signs, but these could be confusing if your child sees other signs in the community or if you are looking for more signs in various resources. Finding a program that specifically teaches in ASL is usually the best option. Q: Where can I find a class locally? There are classes running now through Dancing Bear Toys and Gifts’ Language Lab series. Language Lab: Baby ASL – has registration online or in the store, located on Patrick Street in Downtown Frederick. There are often classes at the local libraries or through Maryland School for the Deaf. The best way to find the classes is on Frederick calendars and online. Go to the Programs & Events tab at dbeartoys.com. Are there online resources? Yes, www.signingtime.com is a great resource. Also look for that company’s CDs and DVDs at the public library carries. Sign2Me is Joseph Garcia’s company that started developing baby signing materials in the 1980s. Another great website for looking up individual signs is www.lifeprint.com, which has a dictionary with pictures and video clips for parents. www.ASLnook.com is a website created by a Deaf family that shows great videos of their young daughters signing. Q: + Adrienne King, M.S. Ed. is a Maryland State Certified teacher in Deaf Education, Special Education and Dance. She has 20 years of teaching experience with ASL, parent education, early childhood education, literacy and dance. She is currently working on teaching her curriculum integrating movement and literacy in an outreach capacity.