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Teaching Sign Language To Enhance Early Communication
Sign language is not only for the Deaf and hard of hearing! Research shows that teaching sign language to babies and using it regularly is a great way to enhance their communication. This has been a controversial topic in the past with the belief that teaching sign language would hinder verbal communication. However, it has been proven to enhance it rather than delay it. For babies who are not yet verbal as well as with those who are delayed in their verbal communication, teaching them signs will give them a way to communicate when they otherwise might not be able to. Teaching babies even a few signs has been proven to reduce behaviors such as screaming, crying, and whining as it gives them a way to express their wants and needs which in turn reduces frustrations.
Some signs you may want to teach your child include:
- Eat
- Drink
- More
- Give Me
- All Done
- Milk
- Play
Other baby signs and how to sign them can be found at this website: https://www.thebump.com/a/how-to-teach-baby-sig n-language as well as on youtube.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1868823/
