Baby Sign Language questions

pb_bride · March 2014

DS is 16m and he is a little behind in speaking/words, so I've been teaching him a few more signs and he is learning them. But this has been my observation:

1) The only sign he will do on his own (w/o prompting) is "more" for food. All other signs he will only sign AFTER I say the word. Even for milk, he will just do "eh" and point/reach for the cup. If I ask him, "What do you want?" he won't sign. I have to spell it out, saying, "How do we say milk?" and he then will sign for milk.

Or, if he's hungry, he'll just whine and cry. I have to ask him, "are you hungry, do you want to eat?" and then he'll sign "eat."

2) He used to point to animals in picture books when I say the animals' names. Now if it is an animal whose sign I've taught DS, he will only sign the animal but refuse to point it out. For example, if there's a picture of a cow and I say "where's the cow?" DS will only sign "cow" but not point to the picture.

It seems to me that the signing isn't helping DS to communicate (well, except for "more"). Is this typical? Is it just a matter of time before he will take his own signing initiative?

fusionbride · March 2014

I'd give him more time. My LO usually uses signs along with their words, but she does use signs independently sometimes and of her own desire to communicate something to me. Yesterday it was "bath", like she was nagging me that it was bathtime and I was behind schedule, and it totally made my day that she learned that sign and that she wanted a bath!

My issue is noticing the signs since they are silent and she sort of does her own baby-ized version of it-- I don't always notice unless I'm looking for it and it was a sign I taught her recently. So it could also be that you notice best when he's asking about it?

cedenton · March 2014

I think signing is good to help communication if you're having tantrums and other issues due to the barrier. However, and this is from everyone I've spoken to, signing can also lead to delayed speech for those words. I asked DC to help us teach DS "please" and they taught him the sign. Occasionally he'll make a p sound at the same time.

It took a few weeks for him to initiate the signs himself.

fusionbride · March 2014

and another advantage of sign language that I thought of is differentiating between words that sound the same. For example, LO pronounces "keys", "cheese" and "please" pretty much the same way so I can't tell what she's saying if she uses the words alone. Plus, they are among her most prized things, so she wants them frantically. She knows the signs for "cheese" and "please" and points for "keys" so that helps me figure out what she's saying.

usarmywifetso · March 2014

I was a nanny to a little girl about your LOs age and she was learning signs. She was the same way and would typically just sign after being prompted to do so. It sounds pretty normal to me. I say just continue working with him and teaching him the signs and how to use them and eventually he'll start using them to communicate his needs/wants.

pb_bride · March 2014

Thank you for all your input. I will give him more time! He was able to sign "eat" to me last night when I was making dinner, to tell me that he was hungry. That is a good step!

DawnLilly · March 2014

"Parroting" is very common both in sign and verbal communication. We started signs very early so DS usually uses them without promting but verbal words that he doesn't know are terrible at this stage. "Do you want cheese?" "Cheese" and then get it out "No no" "Well then, do you want grapes?" "Grapes" get it out and then "No no" It's very frustrating.

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