Sign Language Babies - Toddler Interpreter® Press Release 14 May 09

Press Release
14 May 2009
Toddler Interpreter Explains the Benefits of Baby Sign Language

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Over 25 years of research has shown Baby Sign Language is beneficial to a child’s speech and language development. Baby Sign Language is used as a communication tool for babies before they can talk.

From a very early age a baby is able to determine what her or she wants but lacks the ability to express this with words. Until their speech and language skills are developed and their vocal chords are trained, babies suffer the frustration of living in a world they have no control over.

In Baby Sign Language, basic gestures are used to communicate with pre-verbal babies. These basic gestures are taught to the baby so that they have a method of conveying their needs and wants. Baby Sign Language is used by many parents worldwide to alleviate some of the frustration by providing the baby with a means of communication.

Baby Sign Language is a gesture based form of communication similar to that of traditional sign language, however is often modified to remove some of the more difficult finger spelling attributes. The baby is taught these easy gestures related to basic needs such as eating, drinking, toileting and sleeping. The baby is then able to communicate though basic sign language to their parents and caregivers as needed.

The concept of Baby Sign Language is not a new one; in fact research began as early as 1989 into the benefits of signing with your child. One study, conducted by Drs Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, was funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). This study was designed to determine if Baby Sign Language would delay speech development in children. The children were assigned into two groups. The first group consisted of children that used Baby Sign Language. The second group consisted of children that did not use Baby Sign Language. Children were recruited for the study at eleven months of age and their speech and language development was followed up until they reached the age of three.

The speech and language development of the children recruited into the study was assessed at regular intervals. Language assessments were designed to measure language comprehension and production. The child’s ability to put words into sentences and their intellectual development were also measured.

The scores from children in the group that used Baby Sign Language were found to be higher than those who did not. At 24 months, the signing children had equivalent to a three month developmental advantage. By the time these children reached the age of thirty-six months this advantage had increased dramatically to an equivalent of a 12 month advantage in overall language skills and comprehension.

Toddler Interpreter Baby Sign Language has been developed specifically for hearing children. It incorporates natural gestures and some modified traditional signs. All signs have been specifically chosen as gestures that are appropriate for the target age group of 6 months to 30 months of age. All Toddler Interpreter Baby Sign Language gestures describe an action or meaning of a word and therefore can be understood without any knowledge of traditional sign language. Toddler Interpreter, A Parent’s Guide to Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies and Toddlers, 2009 Edition is available online from http://www.toddlerinterpreter.com.

Toddler Interpreter is here to help you learn more about Baby Sign Language and show you the easiest way to introduce Baby Signing into your home. Baby Signs are easy to learn with our Baby Sign Language Book and our Baby Sign Language Chart.