Signing is becoming increasingly popular in order to enable babies/toddlers to communicate. This article explains why signing may be useful, some of the types of signing that are used and the effect of signing on speech.

Why signing is used:

When babies are born their oral cavities (mouths) are adapted for suckling. The mouth itself is small in comparison to the tongue, and, of course, there are no teeth.

In order to speak the tongue has to move quickly into many different positions within the mouth. Think how you make the sound ‘d’. The tip of the tongue touches the ridge behind the top teeth. The sound ‘g’ uses the back of the tongue, which rises up to the soft palate at the rear of the mouth. ‘f’ involves the front teeth making contact with the lower lip. Therefore the word ‘dog’ needs the tongue to move rapidly from the front of the mouth to the rear – difficult when the tongue is quite large.

Some sounds are made with the lips – think of ‘m’ and ‘b’. These are easier for a baby to make, so baby’s first words are often mum-mum-mum. Babies experiment with sounds by blowing raspberries, using their voices and making early, pre-speech sounds. This is termed ‘babbling’ and is essential for the development of speech.

At the same time as this is happening, babies’ comprehension (understanding) of language is developing rapidly alongside their emerging ability to make speech sounds. A baby/toddler often understands many words such as milk, juice, biscuit, bye bye etc. Again, think how we teach a baby to wave bye bye to someone, or even blow a kiss. A toddler will often lift up their arms to indicate they want to be picked up, even though they can’t say the word.

These gestures are a form of signing and we use them ourselves in all areas of our lives. We wave to someone across the street, we sign ‘drink’ in a busy, noisy bar when we are out with friends or use a thumbs up/thumbs down sign to indicate pleasure or displeasure. So it is easy to see how signing can be used to help understanding and indicate what we want, when we can’t speak.

Signing:

The level of signing used may depend on several factors. For a baby/toddler with a learning disability, such as Down Syndrome it may be most appropriate to use signing which builds into a language programme with symbols and speech, such as Makaton. For a baby/toddler with a hearing impairment a sign language, such as BSL (British Sign Language) may be more appropriate. If you have any concerns please contact your Speech and Language Therapist for advice.

This article is aimed at parents/carers who want to enable their child to communicate more effectively in the early stages of life. Whatever system is used, it is essential to speak as well as sign as the ultimate aim is to get the toddler to speak as well as possible. There are several options and the following list is not totally exhaustive, but just an example of what is available:

• BSL (British Sign Language) – This is a language in its own right which uses signs, gestures and facial expression but no speech. It is the form of signing which is often seen on television programmes which are signed for people with a hearing impairment. Like all languages, it is constantly changing and developing and has regional variations. However the basic signs for everyday needs are useful for use with babies/toddlers.
• ASL(American Sign Language) – This is a variation of BSL which is generally used in theUS. However some of the commercial signing programmes use the American version of the signs.
• Makaton- This is a language programme which uses signs, symbols and spoken language to communicate. It was devised for people with learning disabilities, but in its simple form it is excellent to use with babies and toddlers. The signs are taken from BSL. Makaton have marketed a number of resources such as videos/dvds with signed nursery rhymes and stories.
• Sing and Sign– Sing and Sign was launched in January 2001 and teaches babies/toddlers to develop communication skills further through the use of gesture and signing, mainly through songs. Their website offers signs of the month and details of local courses, as well as additional information on what happens in their classes. Again, their signs are from BSL and are always used with speech.

These are only a few of the examples of what is available to get started on signing. There are also independent signing groups and courses, details of which should be available from a local paper or library.

Even if you decide not to go on an organised course or join a group, the use of gesture in everyday situations is really helpful. Remember to point, wave, clap, hug etc. Facial expressions are important too. Babies frequently look at their mother’s face and pick up signs, and games such as peekaboo reinforce this.

Finally, signing will not stop or slow a child’s speech development. If anything a child may speak sooner, because of the increased interaction. Speech is always the quicker option, and once learnt the child will use speech before any other forms of communications. Very occasionally a child may not develop speech, but this will not be a direct consequence of having used signing at an early age. There are always other factors linked into the late acquisition of speech.

Useful sites:

http://www.singandsign.com/

http://www.makaton.org/training/baby-signing.htm

http://www.signalong.org.uk/

http://www.britishsignlanguage.com/