Kids Using Sign Language

[coolconfidentme]

My dd and I both want to learn asl but we have no idea how to go about it as we don't know anyone who is deaf/hh to teach us. How did you learn?

http://www.lifeprint.com/

Start with the basic words you say frequently.

I've known ASL most of my life & worked at the deaf school in Indy for awhile. I teach my DCKs some ASL..., they love it!

[midaycare]

I would agree that ASL is helpful and the kids who learn it seem to be smart - I don't know about about smarter - but smart. At least in my experience.

But since I had 2 that weren't speaking and were signing, and started speaking when I insisted no signing, I wondered if anyone else had dealt with this. One set of parents already had speech therapists involved, and another was signing up for speech therapy.

[Unregistered]

I'm deaf in one ear and beginning to notice a decline in hearing in the other. I would love to learn ASL just in case my hearing decides to go completely one day. I am an expert lip reader, but it's starting to be not enough... and I can't afford hearing aides.

Wouldn't really do you much good unless your family knows sign and you end up surrounding yourself with people who do.

I went to Gallaudet for grad school- a traditionally deaf college. A lot of people don't realize that there are multiple sign languages- ASL is just one. It's not a translation of English and there is a definite culture around it. Very interesting stuff.

As far as the baby signs- yep, it's cute and wonderful way to communicate with your little one, but usually the signs have little to do with ASL and they aren't taught in the proper sentence structure at all (ASL doesn't follow English Subject-verb-object structure.) I taught my little one baby signs. She actually was a late talker, but she was late with everything. Now she has an amazing vocabulary. Not sure if it's in any way related to her signing, though.

[Unregistered]

http://www.signingtime.com/

this is where we learned most of our baby signs. You can find the videos on you tube, babysteals sometimes sells sets.

[My3cents]

Two of my dck's - 1 that is 2 years old, and 1 that will be 2 soon signed up with me because I have a curriculum. Parents are freaking out because their little love's can't talk yet. Well ... they taught their kids sign language early on. Their kids are using sign language (and pretty well), so there is no need to talk.

Within 3 weeks I had the 2 year old talking & using sentences.

Within 3 days I had the younger one saying 9 words. Parents thought she was so behind and would never talk. But ... I just don't allow sign language with them. I tell them to use their words, and they do.

Anyone else have dck's that are using sign language & waiting to talk because of it? I'm not sure that's the reason, but I'm mostly convinced.

not at all. Sign language is useful as a tool along with learning to talk. When you sign to the child, also say the world and encourage the child to speak it too-

I have had kids that wouldn't talk because they had older siblings that would do it for them, jump to speak for them and the parents too.

Sign language is wonderful when used as a tool to foster verbal-

[TwinKristi]

Yeah I've had the opposite with signing and babies. I've taught them basic words since infantry (milk, water, more, all done) and it's been great! The 2 guys I have who didn't talk much are communicating so much better with sign. And I disagree that it's not ASL. These are the same signs as they use. I learned ASL as a child because I had a dead neighbor and then in school we had a deaf classmate so our class learned sign as well. You're not using ASL as your only method of communication like someone who's deaf would, you're combining it with speech to encourage the communication before they can talk.

[Heidi]

Yeah I've had the opposite with signing and babies. I've taught them basic words since infantry (milk, water, more, all done) and it's been great! The 2 guys I have who didn't talk much are communicating so much better with sign. And I disagree that it's not ASL. These are the same signs as they use. I learned ASL as a child because I had a dead neighbor and then in school we had a deaf classmate so our class learned sign as well. You're not using ASL as your only method of communication like someone who's deaf would, you're combining it with speech to encourage the communication before they can talk.

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[midaycare]

I read that too Heidi - I was like - wow - she can sign to the dead! Lol!

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

I didn't read all the responses as I've got to go get my kids up from nap, but I was told by the 24-year verteran ECE teacher that came to my house once a month through a program set up by our school district that since the fad of using sign-language with babies, there has been a HUGE in-flux of speech delayed kids. HUGE. So, there you have it.

I'd have to agree. My 16mo DCB's mom raves how he can sign over 30 words, mostly because she parks him with some baby-signing video that he is enamored with. Then says he is making up signs for things and they don't understand him. All I ever see him sign is "milk" and verbally saying "more, more!" to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-I-n-g. Yeah. Great. Shouldn't he just be talking.

I've been sniffed at more than once when asked if I do signing with the babies. Nope. I do not know ASL. Am not going to pretend I know ASL. I would rather teach them to talk. I'm old-fashioned that way.

[SignMeUp]

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And the babies are in the infantry too Talk about advanced! ::


Just kidding you, TwinKristi, I know I make plenty of typos too, especially when not on the computer.

Signed,
Desperate for Laughs :: :: ::

[KiddieCahoots]

I think a lot of parents are taking it out of context. And going over board on the whole, "gotta teach them ASL, it's the in fad!" Instead of primarily using a language and vocabulary along with ASL, and with just plain talking to their children.
I could talk to my children in sentences using ASL, but I don't. I prefer to use ASL with some words, to emphasize communication, kind of like power point.
I mean really....why would you only teach your child ASL if they are not deaf?
If your going to teach ASL without the English or another language, it obviously doesn't benefit the child, and defeats the purpose of multi lingual.

[NeedaVaca]

I didn't read all the responses as I've got to go get my kids up from nap, but I was told by the 24-year verteran ECE teacher that came to my house once a month through a program set up by our school district that since the fad of using sign-language with babies, there has been a HUGE in-flux of speech delayed kids. HUGE. So, there you have it.

I'd have to agree. My 16mo DCB's mom raves how he can sign over 30 words, mostly because she parks him with some baby-signing video that he is enamored with. Then says he is making up signs for things and they don't understand him. All I ever see him sign is "milk" and verbally saying "more, more!" to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-I-n-g. Yeah. Great. Shouldn't he just be talking.

I've been sniffed at more than once when asked if I do signing with the babies. Nope. I do not know ASL. Am not going to pretend I know ASL. I would rather teach them to talk. I'm old-fashioned that way.

I do not think it's signing that's causing speech delays. I would lean more towards parents not communicating with their kids as much anymore and gadgets/screen time. There are actually studies that show the benefits of signing to children.

[midaycare]

I do not think it's signing that's causing speech delays. I would lean more towards parents not communicating with their kids as much anymore and gadgets/screen time. There are actually studies that show the benefits of signing to children.

I think you are onto something! Parents wanting to do the latest "fad", in this case baby sign language, while staring at their gadgets and not talking to their kids.

[TwinKristi]

And the babies are in the infantry too Talk about advanced! ::


Just kidding you, TwinKristi, I know I make plenty of typos too, especially when not on the computer.

Signed,
Desperate for Laughs :: :: ::

You caught me on my phone! LOL :: I usually try to go over it before posting! Can we not edit anymore?? :confused:

[SignMeUp]

You caught me on my phone! LOL :: I usually try to go over it before posting! Can we not edit anymore?? :confused:

I don't even use apostrophes on phone or tablet anymore. It's just too much work