Benefits of Baby Sign Language

Have you experienced moments when your little baby was crying on top of her voice, but you were not able to understand what she needed? Such incidents develop frustration in you and also in your baby. Young children do not start speaking properly before they turn two. Till that time, they make a lot of unintelligible sounds that may mean nothing to you. However, not being able to talk does not mean that your baby cannot understand. On the contrary, infants understand a lot more than what we think they do, but the only thing is that they are not able to respond. However, with the development of baby sign language, communicating with young children has become an easy and interesting task.

What is Baby Sign Language

It is a form of communication where parents and caregivers can talk to their infants through sign language. The pioneers of baby sign language, Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, conducted extensive research to create and develop this effective way of communication with children. Babies develop motor skills before they develop the ability to speak. In baby sign language or infant sign language, babies are taught to communicate words and ideas with the help of their hands and fingers. It is said that one can start teaching sign language to a baby from the time she is six months old. The most important thing for this is to have a fixed eye contact with the child, at least for some seconds, as you begin training. The speed with which she grasps would not be the same for every baby. Some babies may learn faster, i.e. they may show their first sign in a week's time, while others may take months. You must start with simple signs and increase the difficulty as you see the child learning and gaining interest in it. Although it is a great means of communication, there are many parents who think that teaching this method is not good for their baby's speech development. This notion is absolutely untrue. Not only does it help in the development of speech in babies, it also has other positive benefits.

Benefits

• Research has found that children who were taught sign language as infants developed language skills faster than children who grew without learning them. When you teach your baby to use signs, you also have to speak that particular word. When you do this regularly, the child is likely to pick up those words quickly, thus transiting to overall speech development. Speech therapists have found that teaching sign language to children who have speech disorders has proved favorable in the development of their vocal skills. This can also be taught to older children to improve their speech skills.
• A baby who learns sign language will be able to communicate her needs to parents and caregivers and when her needs are fulfilled, she will feel happy and satisfied. She will not cry much and will be less cranky too. This will also help in reducing your frustration and give you the satisfaction that you understand your child well.
• Learning sign language is also said to improve the bond between parents and children. Babies learn to trust parents because parents are able to respond to what they are trying to say. This helps in enhancing the bond between them which is beneficial for their relationship in the future.
• Children who know sign language may have better IQ than children who learn language in the natural way. It is said to improve memory of the children. Interacting efficiently with people around them also helps in developing their self-esteem, making them confident individuals.

Babies are inquisitive by nature and have the ability to grasp things quickly during first few years of their life. However, the speed with which a child learns something will not be same for everyone. Teaching sign language may not be a smooth process. It may be frustrating for you initially, as the child may not show any signs of learning. However, with patience and constant repetition of gestures, your child will surely learn to use sign language and you will also enjoy interacting with your little one.