We're doing this signing thing wrong...

Mrs Manners · March 2009

I will admit that we're inconsistent at best and the nanny doesn't do it during the day. However, ds has picked up the sign for milk and REFUSES to use any other sign even though we've shown him the others way more than we ever showed him the sign for milk. He does milk for "more", milk for "eat", milk for EVERYTHING. I keep showing him the other signs for those things but he just looks at me and smiles and does the sign for milk in return.

Suggestions?

Tess12 · March 2009

I have a friend whose son did the same thing. He would use "milk" for "up," "more," "all done." I don't think she ever figured out how to change it, though, so I'm no help. Sorry.

goodtobethelarkster · March 2009

DD never really took to signing either only her sign of choice was "kitty."

She'd get this, "Seriously, mother is this really necessary?!" look on her face and either refuse to sign or look pointedly at the cat and sign "kitty." It was kind of funny because the look she had on her face was very similar to the perpetual "You bore me and fail as my staff" looks cats walk around with.

Honestly, we just let the signing thing go. She has sounds / words that she associates with different objects / concepts. So meh ::: shrugs :::. It's not like she *has* to sign...

aimeelv · March 2009

Zachary does the same thing with the sign for "more" - it's the universal gesture for everything, no matter how much we try to teach him the other signs.

franciscaz · March 2009

I say who cares (and I am ASL fluent)!!!! As long as you know what he needs that is the whole point of baby ASL.

Agrippa · March 2009

Well, it's good that he has learned one sign. I'd keep trying the others. Maybe he'll pick them up eventually.

My DS completely ignores the signs I've been teaching him and has made up his own.

Tess12 · March 2009

*francisca*:
I say who cares (and I am ASL fluent)!!!! As long as you know what he needs that is the whole point of baby ASL.

This is true. M has two signs: "all done" and "milk." Milk sometimes looks like all done, but only when she frantically wants milk, so I can tell what she wants when she wants it.

kellenickle · March 2009

I teach sign to the kiddos I work with and can tell you what I do when this becomes a problem with them (most of them are non-verbal, so it's important that they can communicate with everyone around them).

Anyways, a lot of kids get stuck on one sign - they learn that it gets them what they want! So, when you know what he wants and he's signing milk (ie - you know he wants to eat, but he's telling you milk) do not just give in and give him something to eat. Instead, physically prompt him (use your hands to form his hands into the right sign) to do the eat sign. THEN, you can give him something to eat. This way, he learns that you want something different from him. Eventually, you prompt him and then wait on him to do it alone. It's all up to you how "Strict" you want to be about it. Just know, that if you give him what he wants when he's doing the wrong sign, that he'll keep doing it.

HTH!

ladavis · March 2009

Ditto!

DD knows milk, more, eat, water, and all done. Some better than others but consistent nonetheless. Last week all she wanted to do was sign milk. I noticed we were slacking because she was getting so good. Anyway, we would stop, show her the sign (both on us and using her hand to show her) , say it a handful of times and then give her what she really wanted.

She started to pick them all back up this week. It's important to keep up with the signs they've learned.

GL!

LoveEeyore · March 2009

What happens if you give him milk then? If it were me, I would say the word when he does the sign, and say "milk. you said milk, here you go" and hand him the sippy. do it 3-4 times and then prompt him to do the other sign. Consider using a sign like cracker or cheese next that uses 2 hands and is very different from the hand motions used in milk. Once he can use 2 signs spontaneously and appropriately, then maybe go back to some of the other signs that had been introduced. GOod luck!

Mrs Manners · March 2009

Thanks for the suggestions ladies!

Mrs.Reem · March 2009

I think someone already said it but if they give you the sign for milk you give milk even if you know they mean something else. If they give the incorrect sign you can't reinforce it by giving what you "know" they mean. Keep working with the signs. One day it will seriously just click and he'll use it like a champ. When I teach a new sign some days it seems like its not sinking in and then randomly on a walk or something she'll use it correctly. lol

susanmosley · March 2009

Stop signing! ?

If you know he wants "more" and "eat" etc, then he is communicating ?successfully with you. ?

In brief - this is why I think baby signing (for a typically developing child) is so bizarre. ?It is not a part of normal human development. ?However, humans do develop self generated, creative gestures on their own to facilitate communication. ?When he reaches and says "uh uh" or turns his head an pulls away from a spoon, he is clearly communicating his needs. ?Why do you need him to do a trick to give him what he wants? ?Why are we all teaching babies a 2nd language that (usually) no one in their environment truly uses and that we won't continue to nurture as they grow?

IMO, there are plenty of other components of NORMAL child development where you could be directing your time and energy. ??

just my thoughts. ? I know I am in the minority on this.?

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