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Baby Sign Language
What exactly is baby sign language? It seems to be something very
mysterious. To think you could actually learn to communicate with
your baby is who not yet able to speak seems hard to imagine. As
parent you are just trying to make your best guess as to baby needs
and wants. But do you have to? Can sign language help?
Parenting has
its fair amount of stress, frustration and second-guessing of many
decisions. This can be especially true when caring for an infant.
Can you imagine your baby asking for more milk, or telling you that
he or she is tired or needs their diaper changed? Would you like
the opportunity to provide your child a “jump start” in language and
verbal skills, social skills, enhanced imaginations and development
of a higher IQ. Of course! Teaching your baby to communicate with
simple gestures that resemble the objects, activities, or emotions
they represent, prior to the development of verbal communication can
enhance your baby’s brain development and decrease frustration for
both yourself and your baby! Recent research has proven when
infants are taught to use sign language to communicate their wants
and needs they have potential to excel in language, verbal
articulation, visual-perceptual skills and read prior to 5
years-old.
The interest,
in baby sign language, began in the late 1980’s by two separate and
significant research projects. Joseph Garcia, a student at Alaska
Pacific University and the team of Linda Acredolo, Ph.D and Susan
Goodwyn, Ph.D both from the University of Davis. Both research
ventures began with the inspiration of their own children.
An astute observation
lead to a life change!
While Garcia
was working as an Interpreter, in the 1970’s, he became fascinated
with his observations that babies of his deaf friends were fast on
the trail of becoming sign language “experts” by the age of 9
months! Conversely, his observations also noted babies of hearing
parents were not communicating much at 9 months of age. This became
the topic for his graduate thesis in 1986. In 1987, while attending
Alaska Pacific University, Garcia began to research the use of
American Sign Language hearing babies of hearing parents.
 Garcia’s own
infant son’s became the “test subjects” that eventually developed
his “Sign With Your Baby” and “Sign 2 Me” multimedia programs based
on American Sign Language (L). Thru the past 20 years Garcia has
been a tremendous asset to the Deaf community, in addition to
creating training materials for youth-related projects.
The spark of
interest, from a women’s perspective!
During the
same time period, Linda Acredolo had observed her daughter Katie
watching the fish swimming in the fish tank at the pediatrician
office. Katie walked up to the tank to take a closer look and
started to blow. Her mother became puzzled at the behavior. Once
they were home Katie was put down for a nap in her crib. Over the
crib hung a fish mobile. Linda leaned in to “activate” the mobile
with a gentle blow. Linda immediately made the connection of Katie
“communicating” with the fish at the pediatrician’s office.
Acredolo and
her research partner, Goodwyn, began to study the impact of signing
with babies as compared to those babies who did not sign. Funded by
a grant from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human
Development, they were able to identify progress at ages 2,3, and 8
years-old. Two decades of research results proved signers
out-performed non-signers in many areas of cognition and language
development.
The result of
Acredolo and Goodwyn’s work is the basis of their, “BabySigns” book
and program based on the concept to allow babies to create their own
signs to communicate to bridge the gap between cognition and
communication. Currently, Linda Acredolo, Ph.D is a Professor
Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis.
Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D, is a Professor of Psychology at California
State University, Stanislaus.
What do these three
Sign Language pioneers have in common?
All three
pioneers have written books and developed baby sign language
programs. From these two significant research studies and sign
language programs many grass route baby sign language programs have
emerged. Most of the current programs of today are based on ASL and
facilitate verbal development as an end result goal.
Tiny Talking
Hands embraces both concepts. Garcia’s ASL based programs allow for
parents, caregivers, healthcare providers and educators to easily
increase their vocabulary base with access to a wide variety of
multimedia material. ASL is the third most popular language in the
United States and now is a foreign language credit course and
institutions of higher education.
Without the
statistical research from Acredolo and Goodwyn, we may not be aware
of the positive impact the introduction of sign language to a baby’s
cognitive and language development.
The wholistic
approach…
Tiny Talking
Hands has taken this concept one step further. Based on ASL and
theories of Occupational Therapy.
Occupational Therapy centers
itself around the concept of function. When a person has a
limitation, regardless if it is physical, psychological or
cognitive, the question that is always on everyone’s mind is “Can
they…..” The quote is usually filled in with an aspect of prior
function in their life that they now either cannot do or it is
limited in some particular aspect. Can they walk, get dressed,
drive a car, go back to work, sign their name and so on. Just as
the researcher’s earlier mentioned Penny Haussmann, Occupational
Therapist for over 14 years, became intrigued with baby sign
language with the birth of her daughter.
At first
Haussmann’s interest centered on the benefits ASL would provide to
her child. As the years past some benefits became apparent. At 18
months of age, her daughter had a vocabulary of a 2 year-old. At 3
years of age she was speaking in 7-8 word sentences. Due to the
amazing results, noticed in her own child, Haussmann founded Tiny
Talking Hands to teach other parent’s the simple techniques that
would provide lifetime developmental benefits to their own
children. Always an occupational therapist, always on the hunt for
creative treatment mediums, Haussmann began to integrate the same
techniques used to teach her daughter, with her client’s.
Haussmann had
been working with a 3 year-old boy who had been diagnosed with
Autism and was non-verbal. His parents had reported difficulty in
identifying his needs and wants. Haussmann began to teach the
little boy the ASL techniques for “more”. Within a few months he
was actively signing the word “more”. For the first time the child
and parents were able to communicate without confusion or
frustration. This was an amazing gift for the parents. In
addition, it validated the boys’ role as a family member as he was
well on his way to active participation!
Why choose Tiny
Talking Hands?
The practice
of integrating ASL tips and techniques into everyday occupational
therapy treatment has become standard for Haussmann. Haussmann has
utilized these techniques with all ages and a variety of medical
conditions to enhance the ability to communicate. The ability to
communicate can profoundly impact one’s view of the world and of
their self-worth. In addition to continuing to provide this
education to parents and grandparents, Tiny Talking Hands provides
continuing education courses of study to physical therapist,
occupational therapist and daycare providers. Because in the end it
is all about making a positive impact!
To find out
how you can begin your personal journey with baby sign language you
may contact Penny Haussmann at:
http://www.tinytalkinghands.com
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