How Sign Language (ASL) Aids in Early Childhood Communication
This might sound either odd, or over ambitious for families to think about using sign language in their own household. Cue in a scene from Meet the Fockers with Little Jack signing a full sentence; Grandpa Jack wasn’t too far off...
So if there are no family members with hearing problems or people with communication disorders; why would you use it?
Did you know American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most studied language in the US? Outnumbered by only Spanish and French. So why would people use ASL? It’s something I’ve used in practice with children because even before a child can really start verbalizing, they want to communicate! There might be a misconception that if you teach your child sign language, they won’t be as motivated to verbalize or speak, or that it somehow hinders their speech development. Research says just about the opposite; and once kids develop speech, they’ll want to say it! ASL can help kids communicate sooner, possibly as soon as 6 months. Plus, it’s been shown that it can actually accelerate verbalizations and language by being able to put 2 words together sooner than children that didn’t use sign language.
It helps their basic understanding of language. ASL reinforces verbalizations and language by adding a visual cue with a kinesthetic movement to the auditory speech; targeting different senses for understanding and development of language. Signing also helps books become more interactive; kids thrive on learning through interaction, so when language comes to life (or signing) it makes it more interesting to kids. Babies have a natural tendency to use gestures and their hands, signing also reinforces motor development as they learn new skills.
For those in bilingual households, ASL can serve as a language bridge for children and adults who speak different languages.
Looking at the developmental milestones: at 6-7 months typically developing children start improving gross motor skills (bigger movements of the body), and sit independently. Somewhere between 10-14 months, the average baby says their first word. Signing builds upon those earlier developing gross/fine motor skills so that the baby can communicate before saying their first words. It also builds on a baby’s natural tendency to point and start to gesture with their hands to communicate.
Signing with Special Needs
For those with communication difficulties that continue through the years, sign language increases their opportunity to express themselves and connect with others. Some diagnoses that may benefit are Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Expressive language difficulties like Aphasia/Apraxia, Learning Disabilities, Delays secondary to Premature birth, tracheomitized children, short term illnesses, Post-surgical conditions that inhibit speech.
OT Tips
Start with 3-5 signs at first. What do they need most?
Create the sign at the same time that you verbalize it.
Make eye contact, and create the sign as close to your face as possible.
REPETITION IS KEY. Exaggerated motions might also help, kids are drawn to movement and visual aids.
Be patient. Signing back may not happen for a while, it may take a few months.
Once they do sign back, celebrate! Confirm their accomplishment and encourage them to do it more.
It may not look perfect at first, accept approximations.
Let this become a part of your daily routine, to use in everyday context and their routines.
There are also some “made up” signs that might work for your family, which aren’t technically ASL signage, but will help your child communicate.
Whatever works for your family to help the little ones communicate, and hopefully reduce meltdowns. If you have any other questions, or you want to talk about your child’s development, contact us or schedule a free 30-minute consult!
Vogue, Strike a Pose: The Importance of Modeling (Language!)
This week we are doing something different; we have a guest writer - Laura Klein, who will give us insight on Speech Therapy! For those of you who are unfamiliar, Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults (ASHA).
Laura has been working as a Speech Therapist for more than 4 years with various populations, ranging from pediatrics to adult. Most recently, she has experience working in a specialized school for children with special needs, targeting language development. When working with young children, either typically developing or language delayed, specific strategies can be used to facilitate language development. Here are some tips from my friend and colleague, Laura, to use with your little ones!
Language is broken into two parts - receptive language (understanding information) and expressive language (communicating your wants & needs). Below are some tips for modeling language in order to help your child improve both these areas, and become a better communicator.
It’s all about balance: The donut to my salad, the spin class to my afternoon nap... our days are a constant balancing act. Conversations are no different. In a typical conversation, about 50% of the time we are speaking, while the other half is spent listening. Just as we have this balance as adults, we should encourage the same with our little ones. Constantly asking questions can actually raise your child’s anxiety, and cause a decrease in talking. We want to encourage natural back-and-forth communication even at an early age by adding in comments between our questions. That way, the child will be exposed to more vocabulary and improve their receptive language skills instead of being “quizzed” throughout the day.
Be a broken record: Say it again! And again, and again. The “repeat” button is your best friend. The more you hear a song on replay, the more likely you are to understand the lyrics and eventually sing along. *Cue the soundtrack to Hamilton.* The same is true for speech development. The more often a child hears the word, the more likely they are to say it! Make it functional by targeting words that relate to things you know your child likes, and will come up multiple times during the day, like a favorite toy or snack.
You are what you read: Read, sleep, repeat. Reading books to your little ones, especially repetitive books, is one activity likely to get them talking. Using a highly repetitive story, like Eric Carle’s “Brown Bear” can encourage your child to “fill-in-the-blank” for a familiar phrase. To do this, read the book several times, then pause where the repetitive word would go. If the child doesn’t say the word on their own, repeat the book again and again until they are able to fill in the word themselves. The more models, the more likely they will come up with the word!
Give me, give me more: Extra for guac? Yes please. Sometimes it’s all about the add ons. That’s why, while we want to praise a child for using a gesture or word to communicate, it’s always a good idea to add more. For example, if the child says “dog” you can expand on that by saying “BIG dog” or “dog please.” If the child signs “eat”, you can provide a verbal model “eat” or, “eat cookie.” A good rule of thumb - add 1 to 2 words on to the child’s utterance in order to encourage more language.
Incorporating these tips and “model behavior” into your daily routine will strengthen your child’s receptive and expressive language skills, and help them communicate with more ease.
To learn more, you can always reach out to schedule time with SmplyTherapy
Laura Klein
M.A. CCC-SLP TSSLD