Question 1 Why use British Sign Language (BSL)? Won’t made up signs and gestures work just as well?

British Sign Language is a beautiful, expressive and, visual language, which has been recognised as a language in its own right in England. Research has shown that babies exposed to a second language develop verbal and cognitive skills very well in both languages. It makes sense to learn a language and not just gestures or made up signs.

According to the British Deaf Association, (bda.org.uk) BSL is the first or preferred language of around 250,000 Deaf people in the UK. Around 120,000 hearing people also use BSL, meaning it is used more than Welsh or Gaelic.

On 18th March 2003 BSL was recognised as an official British language by the UK government.

The advantage with using BSL signs is that they are standardised throughout the UK. If you buy any BSL dictionary you will find that the majority of signs are made the same way. You will occasionally find some regional variations in BSL but even these do not pose a challenge. Hearing babies and toddlers use very basic signs that can be understood by BSL users throughout UK.

Using a standardised system offers consistency over a wide range of settings. In childcare and educational settings for example, if children are taught BSL signs they can go to nurseries and preschool environments and use the same signs. Teachers or children that move to centres using non-standard signs will have to learn an entirely new set of signs. This would be very confusing, especially for children who have been taught made up signs at home.

Teachers recognise the importance of creating “inclusive” educational environments where ALL children can successfully learn and socialise, no matter what special needs they may have. Using non-standard signs may actually prevent children in these environments from communicating with one another. A speech–Language Pathologist –Kelly Kirchmar, MA,CCC-SLP, (although she was referring to the standardised system in America, ASL, BSL is the equivalent in the UK,) had this to say:

“We use ASL due to the fact that some of our children will be using signs to communicate for a very long time. It is MOST rewarding to see all of the children in the classroom, both children with special needs and typically developing children, using signs to communicate with each other.”

Further-more, Deaf children can also benefit if more children and parents and educators learnt BSL. Signing does not have to stop once your child starts to speak. Currently many Deaf schools throughout the UK have been closed down and Deaf children are integrated into main stream schools. The Deaf children that access these schools, although they attend their deaf units, are still quite isolated. It would benefit them greatly if others were able to embrace this language and communicate with deaf people. That would be true integration!

Question 2: Will I have to learn a language?

No you do not have to learn an entirely new language- that is British Sign Language. As a parent of a hearing baby, all you need to learn is a handful of simple signs to start with and then add to these signs according to your babies’ interests. This would mean that you would have to learn more signs but they are individual signs. However, for those interested in learning more than just a few signs, and have a desire to learn more about BSL then we encourage you to do so. To aid you with this, Communicating-Hands have created an on line course for those that would like to learn BSL from the comfort of their own home. Life is very busy and we do not always have the time to go out in the evening to classes. In addition to that, not everyone wants the pressure of having assessments and exams while learning. The first 10 lessons, which include Deaf Awareness features, are now available. Why not try out the free demo and see just how easy and fun it is to learn BSL. www.communicatinghands.co.uk

Question 3: Will signing with my baby or young infant delay speech?

No it will not. Signing will actually speed up speech. Much research has been carried out on this which has shown that signing with your baby can actually facilitate speech. The experts in child development tell us that, adding a kinaesthetic (movement) element to verbal and written language, learning will positively impact early verbal and literacy skills.

Dr Marilyn Daniels, author of Dancing with words: Signing for Hearing Children’s literacy, has found that hearing students in pre-school classes who receive instructions in both English and ASL(or BSL) scored significantly higher on standardised vocabulary tests than hearing students in classes with no signed instructions. Over the years, her studies have clearly demonstrated that adding visual and kinaesthetic elements to verbal communication helps enhance a preschool child’s vocabulary, spelling, and early reading skills. For more information click on the research page or go to www.marilyndaniels.com

Question 4: - What is the optimal age to introduce signs to our baby?

I recommend that you start introducing signs any time after your baby is 6 months old. Starting earlier will not hurt your baby or the process, but it may frustrate you if your baby does not produce any signs in the first few weeks or even months. Generally, your baby will be ready to produce signs between 8 and 12 months of age. Remember, a baby needs to develop enough memory, dexterity and cognition before he or she can start producing signs.

Question 5: How long will it take for our baby start signing back to us.

That depends on several factors. Your child’s age, how frequently the caregivers use the signs and how interested the child is in communicating.

The further along children are in their development, the sooner they may begin to produce signs. My research suggest that babies from 8-12 months of age frequently need to watch someone sign to them consistently anywhere from several days to several months before they sign back. Every child and every situation is different. Babies between the ages of 12 and 24 months may start signing within days (or weeks) after the first signs are introduced. Be patient- before long, you will experience the joy of witnessing your child’s first expressive signs.

Question 6: Can we introduce signing in a bilingual environment?

Many families use signs as the common denominator for teaching several spoken languages. Initially as speech begins, your baby may mix various words from different languages together in one sentence. Research indicates that eventually youn' children in these environments usually straighten everything out and become fluent in several languages. It is very unlikely that you will overwhelm your child if you blend the languages within the fibre of our day using experiential learning and teaching. Make the language part of everything you do.

Question 7: Was the SIGN with your BABY programme developed for deaf children?

The SIGN with your BABY programme was developed for hearing babies and hearing parents. However, because it is based on sign language, SIGN with your BABY can be useful as an initial learning tool for hearing parents with children who are deaf.

If your child is deaf or hard of hearing, we recommend that you consult with your local professionals to create an early intervention plan for your child.

Many professionals are prescribing SIGN with your BABY for use with children who have special needs, especially those with language delays, developmental delays, Autism, Down Syndrome or Apraxia of speech.