Sign language helping infants communicate early

[KristinaB]

Tue, February 16, 2010 - 3:03:00

Posted: Feb 16, 2010 10:37 AM EST Updated: Feb 16, 2010 10:37 AM EST
KOLD News
By Scott Kilbury



If your infant is struggling to express himself or herself, try sign language. Studies show teaching very young children how to use sign language helps them communicate months before they can speak.

Some daycare centers are now teaching infants sign language. Winifred Pyle learned when she was just seven months old. "I think it really helped her by less frustrated in general, so she's not crying all the time," Winifred's mom, Krista Pyle said.

The theory is that helping kids learn how to communicate sooner will help them learn more quickly in general. Amanda Lee is a teacher at Missouri State University's Child Development Center. She has seen the effects of learning sign language at an early age.

"The more pathways you create to that information, the better they'll be able to learn in the future," she said. Lee told WSAW in Springfield, Missouri that infants start learning sign language as early as six weeks old, and one of the first signs they learn, is milk Lee says parents sometimes are concerned teaching their child to sign may delay their speech skills thinking it might delay speech. Lee, however, says she hasn't seen any evidence of that so far and neither has Winifred's mother. "She's also verbalizing a lot. she's realizing she can't sign for everything," Pyle said.

Infant sign language is different from standard American Sign Language so it's not something kids normally continue into adulthood.

DeafTimes :: Article

Something most of us already knew.

 

[Bottesini]

Tue, February 16, 2010 - 3:03:00

Posted: Feb 16, 2010 10:37 AM EST Updated: Feb 16, 2010 10:37 AM EST
KOLD News
By Scott Kilbury



If your infant is struggling to express himself or herself, try sign language. Studies show teaching very young children how to use sign language helps them communicate months before they can speak.

Some daycare centers are now teaching infants sign language. Winifred Pyle learned when she was just seven months old. "I think it really helped her by less frustrated in general, so she's not crying all the time," Winifred's mom, Krista Pyle said.

The theory is that helping kids learn how to communicate sooner will help them learn more quickly in general. Amanda Lee is a teacher at Missouri State University's Child Development Center. She has seen the effects of learning sign language at an early age.

"The more pathways you create to that information, the better they'll be able to learn in the future," she said. Lee told WSAW in Springfield, Missouri that infants start learning sign language as early as six weeks old, and one of the first signs they learn, is milk Lee says parents sometimes are concerned teaching their child to sign may delay their speech skills thinking it might delay speech. Lee, however, says she hasn't seen any evidence of that so far and neither has Winifred's mother. "She's also verbalizing a lot. she's realizing she can't sign for everything," Pyle said.

Infant sign language is different from standard American Sign Language so it's not something kids normally continue into adulthood.

DeafTimes :: Article

Something most of us already knew.

The bolded part is what is such a sore subject for many deaf people.

And the opposite undertaken for deaf babies.

 

[Lighthouse77]

I think you can sign pretty much anything you want, you just have to figure out how to sign it. Just like figuring out what is the word for such and such -- just like how I don't know the word for the bone on my knee. I just have to research it to find out.

sign language does not hinder speech. If it did, it would done so to CODA who signed as well as use spoken language (bi-bi enviroment) . I used to blame myself for our son's speech problem . Even though my husband is hearing and can speak pretty good, I felt my bad speech confused him too much because I don't use American Sign Language. Kinda like how people pick up southern accent. but anyway, the speech therapy told me i'm not the reason. He had his teeth removed because of teeth decay (breastmilk DOES cause teeth decay so don't be fool) and just develop bad speaking habits.

I also think it is because I was so used to him talking certain ways that whenever he corrected himself, I couldn't understand him so he was forced to speak certain ways. I think I am hindering him with spoken languages . like I say, I think ASL would cause less confusion for both hearing and deaf. I just rather leave the spoken language to the hearing.