Sign language in infants and toddlers

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Specialized sign language is sometimes used to communicate with infants and toddlers. While infants and toddlers have a desire to communicate their needs and wishes, they lack the ability to do so clearly because the production of speech lags behind cognitive ability in the first months and years of life.^{[citation needed]} Proponents of baby sign language say that this gap between desire to communicate and ability often leads to frustration and tantrums.^{[citation needed]} However, since hand-eye coordination develops sooner than acquisition of verbal skills, infants can learn simple signs for common words such as "eat", "sleep", "more", "hug", "play", "cookie", "teddy bear", before they are able to produce understandable speech.^[1]

Contents 1 Promoted benefits 2 Research 3 Development 4 Teaching sign language 5 In popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Promoted benefits

Proponents say that teaching sign language to infants improves communication skills between the child, parent, and other caregivers.^[1] Infants also quickly learn to match an item with a certain gesture, thus communicating what they are truly thinking, feeling, and needing.^[1] Proponents also say learning sign language promotes the development of language skills and reinforces language skills already developed,^[1] as well as increasing the speed of both early literacy skills and spatial reasoning development.^[1] They assert that babies who can communicate their wants and needs through signs develop self-esteem, social-emotional skills, and feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction,^[1] and are much happier than babies or infants who do not,^[2] less likely to throw tantrums, and in some cases can develop a higher IQ.^[2] Proponents say it teaches infants how to start as well as engage in a conversation.^[1]

[edit] Research

In a recent article in the British Psychological Society's "The Psychologist" ^[3] Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon has considered in detail the theoretical bases behind the growth of this phenomenon and some of the claims made by its supporters ^[4]

As Doherty-Sneddon points out so-called "baby signing" is not entirely new. Variants have been used by speech and language therapists for decades with children who have speech and/or cognitive impairments (e.g. Clibbens et al., 2002 ^[5]). It is widely recognised communication is at the heart of child development, be it cognitive, social, emotional or behavioural (e.g. Vygotsky, 1978 ^[6]).

Clinicians and researchers have highlighted the association between communicative difficulties and behavioural problems. For example, Paul and Kellog (1997) ^[7] found children who were late talkers at age two years were more shy, aloof and less outgoing at age six. Similar poor social-emotional adjustment was found in late talking toddlers, along with higher reported parent-child dysfunction by mothers, in a study by Irwin et al. (2002) ^[8].

While baby signing promoters claim various benefits verified in experimental research, there is in fact a dearth of actual research. The American team led by Acredolo and Goodwyn has been responsible for driving research into the effects of baby signing on child development. They claim babies readily acquire symbolic gestures when exposed to enhanced gesture training. They also propose (Acredolo et al., 1999 ^[9], Goodwyn et al., 2000 ^[10]) those taught to sign reap rewards such as:

• larger expressive and receptive spoken language vocabularies;
• more advanced mental development;
• a reduction in problematic behaviours like tantrums resulting from frustration; and
• improved parent–child relationships.

The mechanisms underlying these benefits are proposed to include:

• an increased number of episodes of joint visual attention during interactions between parents and toddlers, known to be associated with improved language skills;
• empowering of the infant to focus the topic and context of conversation;
• the discussion and clarification of concepts
• added practice with the symbolic function.

Doherty-Sneddon claims a key issue is ensuring that sufficient and appropriately designed research is available to back the claims made in relation to baby signing. A literature review concluded although benefits were reported in 13 of 17 studies, various methodological weaknesses leave the evidence unconfirmed.^[11] Certainly, research into the effects of baby signing needs better control groups, such as children who are involved in equally interesting and fun activities based around adult and child language interaction but not baby signing.

Volterra et al. (2006) ^[12] conclude enhanced gesture input for hearing children is a catalyst for gesture acquisition, and especially the use of representational form and hence symbolic communicative function. They add this enhancement is short-lived (to between 12 and 15 months of age). Doherty-Sneddon argues, however, this timescale represents only a general norm. The enhancement and advantage is far more extended in the many toddlers who are not speaking until well after their second birthdays.

Doherty-Sneddon concludes by arguing there are three different levels of support for the benefits of baby signing:

• indicative, if not evidentially strong, evidence from baby signing research;
• related evidence from deaf sign and hearing gesture/language research;
• compelling anecdotal support from families who have embraced the approach.

[edit] Development

In the United States, teaching sign language to non-signing families to communicate with their hearing infants and toddlers was developed by Linda Acredolo, professor emerita of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and Susan Goodwyn, professor of psychology at California State University, Stanislaus.^{[citation needed]} Their research began in 1982, and produced a 1985 article in Human Development titled “Symbolic gesturing in language development: A case study.”^[13]

Joseph Garcia, an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and a leading proponent of use of ASL in communicating with infants and toddlers, began with his graduate thesis in 1986, an analysis of the role sign language could play in early childhood language acquisition. His research indicated babies who are exposed to signs regularly and consistently at six to seven months of age can begin using signs effectively by the eighth or ninth month.^[14]

In 1998, a program was conducted at A. Sophie Rogers Infant-Toddler Laboratory School in Ohio State University by Kimberlee Whaley. Infants as young as 9 months old and their teachers began to learn to use some signs from the American Sign Language to communicate with each other. The program was not intended to teach American Sign Language, rather to use signs to communicate effectively. The program found that children would use the signs they learned in the classroom at home. Another finding indicated that girls use signs more than boys. This is something that Whaley wants to research further. ^[15]

[edit] Teaching sign language

Children can begin to learn sign language at between six and eight months of age. At this age, a baby can hold a gaze for a couple of seconds. Teaching usually starts with three to five signs. Because speaking remains a goal, words are usually used along with the signs. Eye contact and emphasis on the word also help.^[16]

Since the appropriate time to begin sign language instruction can vary, a good indication is when the baby begins to use or mimic simple hand motions like waving bye or hi. With consistent instruction, most babies will produce their first sign after 2 months, however, some babies have produced their first sign after just 2 weeks of instruction. It is best to start with a few basic signs that can be accompanied by a direct action or object for easier association. As the baby begins to sign some basic words and makes the connection that hand gestures convey a message, additional words can be added with greater ease as the baby will be more receptive and attentive to hand motions.^[17]

Tips to begin using baby signs:

1. Begin early-Usually by nine months, your baby shows interest in wanting to communicate with you. There's no harm in starting even earlier. Most babies begin to sign back to you between ten to fourteen months.

2. Keep it natural-Make sure the sign language comes natural to both you and your baby. A simple gesture that corresponds with a word or phrase can work for signing. For example, rubbing the tummy for "hungry." You don't have to use ASL (American Sign Language) and some experts feel ASL is not natural for babies to learn.

3. Give your baby the signs they need-Use the basic ones your infant needs on a daily basis-food, thirst, tired. These are examples of the most important ones. You don't need to have a sign for every word.

4. Be consistent-Sign the same signs repeatedly and your baby will learn them quickly and begin to imitate them back to you.

5. Speak and sign simultaneously-This is to ensure your baby is getting both the sign and the spoken word.

6. Make it a family habit-Anyone your baby interacts with regularly should know the most important signs. This will help with retention.

7. Follow your baby-Sometimes, your baby will make his own signs up. If so, make sure you use his signs, as he will remember these easily.

8. Don't push the signs-All children will develop at their own pace, including signing. If your baby seems resistant, don't push the issue. ^[18]

[edit] In popular culture

Baby sign language was a plot element in the movie Meet the Fockers, where Jack (Robert De Niro's character) had taught his grandson "Little Jack" sign language. The twins that portrayed Little Jack (Bradley and Spencer Pickren), learned sign language from watching Signing Time! videos.^[19]

[edit] See also

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of American Sign Language

• Child development
• Language acquisition

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Sign language in infants and toddlers at the Open Directory Project