Infantreflux.org | Sign language

This topic has 11 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 19 years, 6 months ago by Anonymous.

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April 4, 2007 at 3:03 pm #29514

Anonymous
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I used sign language with my daughter when she started solids… just basic words like: “more,” “all done,” “milk,” “please,” “mama,” etc. I really think it helped so much with avoiding tantrums when she couldn’t communicate otherwise. However, I am wondering if this was just her personality? She’s a pretty easy-going kid, loves to please people, etc. But she started talking really early on and had a large vocabulary at 1 year. Don’t know if the sign language helped that along or what.

Anyone else use it and found it helpful?

I am using it again with Ben and started early on to let him know when I was “all done” giving him his medicine. His face lights up a bit, so maybe he’s starting to get it.

April 4, 2007 at 3:18 pm #29521

Anonymous
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We use it with Brianna…it has helped tons with tantrums and stuff, but she is kind of behind on her language. She really only says dada, and occasionally will say mama, yes and hey/bye. I don’t really think it has anything to do with sign language. And it is great that she has been able to communicate with me for so long instad of always haveing to guess what she wants.

April 4, 2007 at 3:33 pm #29524

Anonymous
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I am a speech-language pathologist and I took ASL in graduate school (out of curiosity). It’s been proven that teaching a child to sign helps them communicate more effectively earlier on in life. I’d like to try it with Ariella. She already understands so much, it would only help her be a better communicator.

April 4, 2007 at 4:12 pm #29530

Anonymous
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I am using it a little bit with Sarah and she’s starting to catch on. Her sign for “more” looks like she’s clapping so it’s hard to tell what she’s doing. BUT the coolest thing she started doing last week was smacking her lips when I would ask “Do you want to go eat?”. Sometimes she’ll crawl over to me and start smacking her lips and I’m like YES I’LL FEED YOU! I was so excited!!! I don’t know many other signs but we’re at a transition (or soon to be) with bottles so I’m struggling with “thirtsy”. Right now a bottle is considered a MEAL but in a few weeks it will be a sippy cup for thirst…so it’s hard to separate the two. Any ideas? I’m also struggling b/c I use the words: hungry, eat, and food. I need to just pick ONE so she can start to understand what I’m referring to. She does the lip smacking when I say “eat”…I must use that one more often. Anyway, I’m rambling…

April 5, 2007 at 4:30 pm #29651

hellbennt
Keymaster

I did it a bit w/ Jonah & it was great- I’m trying to remember to do it w/ Ari, LOL!

April 5, 2007 at 8:09 pm #29672

Anonymous
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I did it with Kaelyn and it was great. Like Laura said, I’m trying to remember to do it with Alex!

April 5, 2007 at 9:29 pm #29681

Anonymous
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Claire would always make the signs her own way too. Her sign for “more” was poking one finger into the palm of the other. We figured it out though.

Not sure about the “thirsty” sign. I actually never used that one. Maybe use the one for drink instead or maybe cup?

April 5, 2007 at 9:48 pm #29683

Anonymous
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i would love to try this with Trace. i dont know any sign language though. did you guys have to first learn all the signs yourselves, or do you make up your own signs?

April 5, 2007 at 9:58 pm #29684

Anonymous
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I am fortunate to have a co worker that also teaches sign language. She doesn’t know much about the research with babies and sign language but she showed me some of the basics. More, thank-you, thirsty, etc…

Natalia- I would say just make up your own! He won’t know the difference. You could also try researching online to see if you can find some pictures and descriptions of the basics.

The easiest one to describe in text is thirsty…you cup your hand like you’re holding a bottle and twist/shake it back and forth. Kind of like you were shaking a bottle really! Now that I’m doing the sign it kind of looks like Sarah when she’s waving…so that one might be confusing for us too!

April 5, 2007 at 10:37 pm #29686

Anonymous
Inactive

Natalia, the sign for drink is the following: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/d/drink.htm

Eat http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/h/hungry.htm

The link to more signs http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/concepts.htm

Hopefully that was helpful

April 6, 2007 at 1:43 pm #29751

Anonymous
Inactive

Naomi, that’s how Kaelyn always did more as well!

We ordered a book and DVD. I’m very visual, so it helped me to be able to watch people make the signs over and over.

Kaelyn actually has the Baby Einstein video that does signs. I think that it’s Baby Wordsworth. She still enjoys watching it and she’s picked up some of the signs all by herself, but I don’t think that they cover the signs that you need with a baby.

April 6, 2007 at 2:19 pm #29764

Anonymous
Inactive

Naomi,

Brianna’s sign for more is the same as Claire’s was. How funny! We were given these great videos called Signing Time by my SIL. I actually had said I wasn’t going to bother teaching Brianna the signs, but I liked for her to watch the videos (yes, I let Brianna watch videos…or else my house would never be clean.) becuase they were educational. Well wouldn’t you know it, one day Brianna on her own started doing the More sign. I got really excited and from there I got really into it. Now Brianna has tons of signs. Some she makes up..like if I say “Brianna are you thirsty” she puts her finger on her tounge and says “Ahhh” like she is at the dentist.
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