ASL for kids

VesperLove · July 2015

Just a quick thread to see if any of you are planning on using sign language with your kids ... and if so, checking to see if anyone has some good resources for basic signs to teach your kids and where to even start with this.

We have a few friends who have used ASL from a very young age and it's amazing how much they can communicate with their children from the beginning. We definitely want to incorporate it with our child but we are both starting from scratch and don't know very much.

Any resources would be greatly appreciated.

fiorip · July 2015

Thanks for starting this! I'm clueless in the topic as well and would love a few resources.

taysun · July 2015

I haven't any experience however this site has some info and some resources!
https://www.start-american-sign-language.com/baby-sign-language.html

RachDaRach · July 2015

I used ASL with my daughter when she was young. I'd do the signs as I said the words starting around 6 months, and she shared using the signs around 10 months (although I don't remember exactly!). It helped sooooo much! Especially "wait." If I'd tell her to wait, she'd react like a normal baby and fuss. But when I'd sign it, she'd actually wait patiently! Even when she got a bit older and would say the words, babies can be difficult to understand! So when she'd say the words AND sign them (or just sign them), I was able to understand her better. She's 3.5 now and she still signs here and there and it's absolutely adorable

RachDaRach · July 2015

Also, a basic Google seach will give you the key signs. We only did about 10, so books and research aren't really necessary unless you plan on using a lot more.

VesperLove · July 2015

Thanks, @RachDaRach, for sharing your experience. That's awesome. We are really looking forward to giving it a try and seeing how it works out for us. The more we can communicate the better!

Bubbz · July 2015

Oh yes, I plan on doing this!

This is a good website: https://www.babysignlanguage.com/
It has videos showing you the signs, which makes it a lot easier for me to follow. You can probably just use the dictinary without needing to buy any of the stuff!

chewie5990 · July 2015

I am fluent in ASL and the school I work at has a large population of deaf students. Since I am involved in the deaf community and have many friends and coworkers who are deaf I will definitely be using ASL with my LO from the start. One thing I have seen online is that some of the "baby signs" are not true ASL...but I guess that doesn't matter if you don't plan on continuing with ASL after LO starts talking (which I do).

There are so many great advantages that go along with teaching babies and children ASL - I actually did my masters comprehensives on how learning sign language helps hearing children with reading skills. Lifeprint.com is a great resource for ASL, there are a lot of baby signing books but everything is free on the internet so why bother.., also there is a really cute childrens program on netflix that teaches kids ASL (probably to old for little babies but not for toddlers) called "Signing Time". Pinterest also has a bunch of ideas about doing baby signs.

It really is a great way to jump start communication skills and language development since babies can learn to sign earlier than they learn to talk.

angetralala · July 2015

I have heard mixed opinions about ASL with babies - some dissenters argue it delays speech because children can already communicate, but I think speaking the word while you sign would prevent that being an issue.

Also, I nannied a girl whose parents taught her some signs, and it was a huge help when she could tell me not only was she hungry, but what she wanted to eat! My mom and I studied sign language when I was home-schooled, and I think it's such a great language to learn.

CMDD · July 2015

Signing time wth Alex and Leah in Netflix

MegStark · July 2015

I love using ASL with DD. OP, are you going to be staying at home or will LO go to daycare? Our daycare teaches signs and relays all the signs they're learning to the parents. They did it in the earlier classes and some of the signs really helped her communicate what she needed to us before she was talking (or at least before we could understand what she was saying). As far as delaying speech - we haven't had any issues. She's one of the more talkative ones in her class. She still uses some signs while she's saying the word though. Examples - please, milk, spoon, thank you, more

VesperLove · July 2015

MegStark said:

I love using ASL with DD. OP, are you going to be staying at home or will LO go to daycare? Our daycare teaches signs and relays all the signs they're learning to the parents. They did it in the earlier classes and some of the signs really helped her communicate what she needed to us before she was talking (or at least before we could understand what she was saying). As far as delaying speech - we haven't had any issues. She's one of the more talkative ones in her class. She still uses some signs while she's saying the word though. Examples - please, milk, spoon, thank you, more

Our current hope is that DH will be SAH for the first year (we're still looking at finances to see if that works) but if we can't do that, we are going to do an in-home daycare (just a couple kids) or a nanny share ... so we're hoping that anything we do with LO can continue when at daycare or with the nanny.

redfallon · July 2015

I tried this with DD, but I think she was a little too old to start it at the time, and she's very verbal, so she can tell me what she needs to know now, and I rarely have to guess. The only sign she remembered from the classes we took was "more". I think it would have helped if I had started her a little earlier before she started talking. It is great for that!

Marchmellow2 · July 2015

I did this with DS. It's pretty awesome how fast they learn it! I started at around 4 months. By 10 months or so he was doing some signs. Basic words/signs like milk, more, food, all done, bath time, sleep and quite a few other signs. It made me so proud!! I used YouTube videos so i learned them, then I would just teach him. It's all about repetition and doing it every time you say a certain word. He now watches Signing Time with Alex and Leah on pbs everyday. I just DVR it so we find time to watch it. We also did classes but he never paid much attention in class. He was more interested in the others babies.

Marchmellow2 · July 2015

angetralala said:
I have heard mixed opinions about ASL with babies - some dissenters argue it delays speech because children can already communicate, but I think speaking the word while you sign would prevent that being an issue.

Also, I nannied a girl whose parents taught her some signs, and it was a huge help when she could tell me not only was she hungry, but what she wanted to eat! My mom and I studied sign language when I was home-schooled, and I think it's such a great language to learn.

Hmmmmm I never heard this. But maybe that's why my son doesn't say any words yet! Ahhhhh! I'm going to go see if there are statistics or studies on this. If it's true, I don't want to delay this LO's speech!

BostonBaby1 · July 2015

I have no idea if we will do this or not when the time comes…

But just a little tidbit about sign language is that there is a difference between American Sign Language (ASL) and Basic Sign Language (BSL) aka Signing Exact English (SEE.)

ASL has its own grammar and syntax where SCE or basic sign language follows the English language exactly.

*I only know this because DH knows to sign.

fmraglio · July 2015

We were gifted the Signing Time program and after watching through a couple of them we have decided we will for sure use it for our baby.

CMDD · July 2015

angetralala said:

I have heard mixed opinions about ASL with babies - some dissenters argue it delays speech because children can already communicate, but I think speaking the word while you sign would prevent that being an issue.

(stuck in a quote box) I've heard that too. But most moms I know do it and teach 5-10 words and find that helpful.

chewie5990 · July 2015

I have also read a lot about delayed speech from babies that sign...my coworkers husband is deaf so of course they sign to their son all the time but my coworker talks to him. He had delayed speech that my coworker started noticing around 2.5 years old so they made an appointment with a speech therapist and she told them not to worry because the the sign language gave him communication skills and his speech would easily catch up. She was right and now he is almost 5 and you would have never known he had a speech delay as he talks everyone's ear off and is on track for his age.

If you just plan on doing baby signing though I really don't think speech delay would be an issue...as most people only regularly use about 10-20 words and the baby would be around speaking much more than signing.

BCIndychick · July 2015

I hadn't thought about it really. Sounds like a good idea. My cousin did it with her kid. He ended up being diagnosed some form of Autistic and had delayed speech anyway so the signing helped them. Inner ear and hearing problems sort of runs in my family. Most all of my immediate family ended up having to have tubes put in their ears. Including me. My nephew is almost three and just got the tubes put in. He has less than 50 words. He gets so frustrated. Poor little guy,

cards10 · July 2015

We've definitely wanted to do this with our baby. We both don't know any sign language but 5-10 words we can teach our family and daycare and baby would be super helpful. Love the suggestions from the other ladies, thanks for posting!

sisteroobk · July 2015

Signing time with alex and Leigha. It is on dvd and netflix. My little brother who is 2 knows over 300 words in asl. It is a great way to learn and to teach. My other little brother is on his way to knowing a lot too he is only 1.

lynettieLoo · July 2015

BostonBaby1 said:

I have no idea if we will do this or not when the time comes… But just a little tidbit about sign language is that there is a difference between American Sign Language (ASL) and Basic Sign Language (BSL) aka Signing Exact English (SEE.) ASL has its own grammar and syntax where SCE or basic sign language follows the English language exactly. *I only know this because DH went to RIT which has a large deaf population.

Both of my parents are deaf and I did not learn ASL growing up, it's almost like a foreign language to someone who can actually hear & speak.Growing up with deaf parents with deaf friends I had to go to classes to actually learn how to speak so I fully intend on teaching sign language to LO and in doing so I will be saying the words out loud while signing to avoid those developmental delays.

tralalablah · July 2015

I did some basic ones with my daughter. She still does more, please, thank you, and all done. I wish I had done more. Some of them were lifesavers. She tries really hard to do -I love you- now. No speech delay, she talks nonstop, argh.

amw2133 · July 2015

I have only seen speech delay in one child due to learning sign language. He was 2 and barely said any words but knew over one hundred words in sign language. His parents were not deaf but used mainly sign language to communicate with him.
We teach sign language to our infants and young toddlers at the day care I work at. Really basic signs like milk, more, please, thank you, and all done. As they get older we teach them a few more but try to keep it pretty basic.
Hubby and I will be doing this with our little one. It's really helpful for them to let you know what they want.

CCsep · July 2015

We are planning to teach and use basic signs! My parents and I used the Sign With Your Baby book for my sister (she's 12 years younger than me) and it was awesome! That's what we're planning to use with our baby boy too!

littleSkittle14 · July 2015

I had heard the delayed speech thing and decided not to do it with Dd initially.

Now at 15 months, she's starting to have toddler tantrums, and gets very frustrated when she is trying to tell me something and I don't get it. I've started doing some signs with her (food, all done, more) and she has picked it up quick and it actually is helpful for communication. I think I will do more with this next LO.

duckinoven · July 2015

We have been researching it after seeing a friends son be able to communicate basic needs at 11 mos old. We were so impressed and plan on doing it with our first. In laws will be part time childcare, so hoping that they will use it too.

Preppytraveler · July 2015

***lurking speech pathologist***

Signing is a great way to encourage early communication skills in children. It will not delay language, children, just like all people will use whatever mode of communication is easiest, which is speaking. (If you are sitting at a table you will talk instead of text someone). In fact, if a child is speech or language delayed, teaching a few signs can help with frustration and is often done with late speaking toddlers in therapy. I signed with my son with an only positive outcome

TBerndt3 · August 2015

We do sign language with a group here and we have used sign language with both our daughters. It helped cut some of the frustration of not talking. Start at about 3-4 months and we started with the sign "more" once we started seeing that we added more but it does take months for them to learn the first sign then they come faster after that. We will be using sign with this baby too.

rmj28 · August 2015

We absolutely will be. I am starting to learn myself now, which is also helpful at work, as we have two associates who are deaf. It was mentioned immediately when we started early intervention planning (partially because speech, and everything else is delayed in kids with Down syndrome, it can reduce communication frustration) so my husband and I are getting an early start (I'm just using google right now and mastering the alphabet and super basic things). I'm definitely following this thread now! Lots of good info!

VesperLove · August 2015

Sorry to ditch my post. I stopped getting notifications so it slipped away. Thanks for all the input and thoughts!

adecembermom2015 · August 2015

Did anybody see A/S/L and immediately think of AOL Messenger asking age/sex/location?

satindawl83 · August 2015

adecembermom2015 said:
Did anybody see A/S/L and immediately think of AOL Messenger asking age/sex/location?

Yes! I was going to reply with that when the post began (It was still in my reply box when I opened this actually).

MillyDally · October 2015

Hm, well my brother taught his first boy sign language and he was picking up a lot of signs and obviously very smart, but he just started babbling and he is 4. He would get really frustrated if they didn't pay attention to his signs and stuff, and just refused to speak. They got him a speech therapist and everything. They actually think he might be on the autistic scale though.

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