Parenting & Pregnancy >
Baby Developmental Stages
Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedInfant sign language: Beneficial or delays speech?
Results so far:
| Beneficial | 61% | 196 votes | Total: 320 votes | |
| Delays | 39% | 124 votes |
Beneficial
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesAs a former student of American Sign Language Interpreting, I am a strong advocate of teaching Sign Language to infants. I have seen it in practice and I believe it is extremely beneficial for bonding, communication, and speech development.
Some people believe that since you are using non-vocal words, the baby will not learn to talk. Quite the opposite is true. Babies who learn sign language actually develop their speech skills earlier than those who do not. How can that be? Teaching a language that uses gross motor skills instead of the fine motor skills that are required for oral speech is easier for the child to grasp. This means that they can learn to utilize the language earlier than an oral language. Understanding language, and that certain words have a meaning-such as what a "shoe" is, or the color "blue", etc-is vital for oral language development. If they understand that words have meanings, and that objects have names, they are on their way to speaking!
In a recent interview with MSNBC, Dr. Lynn Wegner stated, "Communication is communication. Signing, Gesturing, using communication boards and other assistive methods are all acceptable in the very young child who is trying to get his message accross and understand what others say to him." In short, signing allows the infant to communicate, decreasing the amount of tantrums, screams and guesswork. Parents who sign with their babies will find that their infants can tell them exactly what they want, rather than trying to decipher why their infant is crying. My nephew, for example, has been able to ask for food before he could speak. My sister can't imagine how much he (and she!) would cry before she figured out what he wanted. Now, he simply makes a simple sign, and she knows exactly what he wants.
In rare cases, the child has speech delays even if taught sign language early on. A possible cause is that the parents use only sign language in place of their native tongue. This is one of the very few causes for speech problems in signing infants, aside from pre-existing conditions. An infant who is taught sign language properly will see the sign and hear the word simultaneously, reinforcing the meaning of the sign, the spoken word, and the object in question. If the child does not have this reinforcement, then yes, they may have speech delays. But this is in the rare case that a parent would not speak to their infant at all, as infants pick up language by immersion and should still learn at a normal rate whether they are taught sign language or not.
Also, it is hard to determine whether the child was already "destined" to have a speech delay. I use that term loosely, as it is the only word that seems to fit. If a child already had a hindrance in their speech, it is difficult to say whether it was the sign language that delayed them, or a learning disorder. In those cases, we must look at the majority of signing infants who are advanced in speech development, and we must also assume that there was something else that the child was deficient in, and it simply wasn't diagnosed yet.
Other times, parents think their child is delayed, when really there is a wide window of opportunity. One of my nieces started speaking before she was a year old. Her cousin, a month older, didn't talk until she was almost two years old! Different children have different timelines for their development, and that must be taken into account when examining each case of speech delay.
Additionally, babies who are taught sign language are taught by their parents. These parents are clearly active in their child's educational journey, and this is helpful in any learning environment. A supportive parent is a necessity when it comes to a child's education, no matter the age or subject.
Signing is beneficial not only for speech development and to relieve frustration but it can also create a source of bonding between parent and child. Teaching the child by watching videos, reading books, or simply having one-on-one time is great for an infant's emotional health. THe infant will enjoy spending time with their parents, and will feel secure and satisfied when they are able to ask for what they want, rather than live through the frustration of trying to communicate and not be able to do so.
It must be concluded, then, that any type of communication-signin g, speaking, pictures-can be beneficial for a child not only intellectually and developmentally, but also emotionally. It is my opinion that all parents ought to teach some kind of early communication that the child can use early on, to reduce frustration. Every parent has their choice, and those who choose not to sign ought not to look down upon those who do, and vice-versa. Differences in opinion should be respectfully given in such discussions. Communication, after all, is the key.
Learn more about this author, Grace Fox.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Delays
"But, will it hinder my child's verbal use of language?"
Any parent, especially those with young babies and toddlers, are concerned about how and when their kids will begin to speak. When you hold your infant longing to hear what her/his first word will be and you hear about the sign language craze, trust me you are less focused on the novelty of popular new trends than on how you can help your baby. So, of course, if you consider using baby sign with your offspring, it helps to know if there are any drawbacks. I researched. Here are some resources you can check out to answer the question-will sign delay speech development?
Referenc es
Acredolo, L. & Goodwyn, S. (1988). Symbolic gesturing in normal infants. Child Development, 59, 450-466.
Baker, S. A., Golinkoff, R. M., & Petitto, L. (2006). New insights into old puzzles from infants' categorical discrimination of soundless phonetic units. Language Learning and Development, 2(3), 147-162.
Goodwyn, S., Acredolo, L., & Brown, C. (2000). Impact of symbolic gesturing on early language development. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 81-103.
Hildebrandt, U. & Corina, D. (2002). Phonological similarity in American Sign Language. Language and Cognitive Processes, 17(6), 593-612.
Iverson, J.M. & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2005). Gesture paves the way for language development. Psychological Science, 16(5), 367-371.
Krentz. U. C. & Corina, D. C. (2008). Preference for language in early infancy: the human language bias is not speech specific. Developmental Science, 11(1), 1-9.
By the way, I discovered from the literature that the answer is no, IT WILL NOT DELAY SPEECH. Actually it will facilitate it with higher chances of earlier acquisition of speech. 103 eleven month olds were divided into three groups, one test group and two control groups (Goodwyn, Acredolo, & Brown, 2000). One group of parents knew nothing of the research intent and the other control group was instructed to make an effort to model verbal labels. The test group's parents were to teach the infants sign. All groups of infants were tested in language proficiency at 15, 19, 24, 30, and 36 months. Results showed that the sign group had the advantage on the vast majority of language tests suggesting that sign does not hamper language development but may actually facilitate it (Goodwyn et al.). Researchers in another article tying symbolic gesturing to speech development conclude, "it may even be the case that successful communication with gestures as object labels adds to the child's overall conviction that he or she is on to something' with this labeling business and thus speeds along the naming process in the verbal modality" (Acredolo & Goodwyn, 1988, p. 464).
The following should be taken as case study with the limited generalizeability that implies.I took classes in ASL and used it to teach my first child when she was born. She was saying her first words by 5 months (Hi, Daddy, Hello) and signing for food, milk, more, again, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, dog, and water. My second baby said her first word (Mama)by four months but used less sign (she signed more and milk) despite my efforts to teach her, but at 10 months she is doing just fine in vocal language use it just hasn't been as fast as her older sister's language development. But they are both overall above the curve.
Learn more about this author, Mary Walker.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Difference of opinion? Debate now.
