Start Signing!

One of the questions I get asked most often with Chelsea is: "Is she deaf?" followed closely by "Did you know ASL before you had her?"

The answers: No, she isn't deaf, and no, I didn't know any ASL before I had her. I think I knew the signs for "more" and "milk".

But learning ASL was seriously one of the best things I have ever done, and so good for any kid- deaf, hearing, special needs... EVERYONE SHOULD SIGN!!!!

Chelsea being super lucky and meeting Rachel Coleman!

My favorite way of learning early sign is with the SIgning TIme videos. The Signing Time company has a FAQ about ASL. They have videos about zoo and farm animals, household chores, potty training, my favorite things (verbs and fruits), family...

How Should I Start Learning ASL? Local libraries or your local early intervention library should have a bunch of Signing Time videos. Watch them! Watch them with your kid and do hand over hand, or pop them in and watch while you cook dinner.

If you think they are too juvenile, then too bad. Watch it anyway. They work! I cannot even say how many adults I have told how to sign a word they ask about, and they forget it a week later.

Chelsea signing "owl", her second favorite animal!

With Signing Time, they show the word, show the sign, explain why the sign is that way, and then have multiple people sign it, say it, show pictures of the word you are learning, then sing songs with those words. Repetition works for EVERYBODY!!!

I liked watching the videos with Chelsea, and showing her "how" to watch them- saying the word aloud, then practicing the signs every time the word was said. I demonstrated the signs, then did hand over hand.

For a Typical Child:
For a "normal" kid with average intelligence, they should pick up signs really fast if you are consistent. I would pick 2-3 highly motivating signs, like "milk" or a favorite toy, and really focus on doing hand over hand and teaching those. Once they get that signing will get them cool stuff, they will learn it just as fast as you can teach it!

Chelsea has a "typical" brother 2 years younger than her, and after just watching signs I used with Chelsea, he started signing back at 8-9 months old and had an explosive vocabulary (signed and verbal!) by 1 year old.

The myth "If you teach a kid to sign, then they won't talk" is a big bag of NOPE. Little mister was talking in full sentences at a 14 months old. If anything, signing encouraged him to talk more and got him accustomed to language.

For Special Needs Kids:

It took Chelsea months and months of me doing hand-over-hand, consistent repetitions for her to understand the signing. I always tell parents that the first 10-20 signs are the HARDEST to teach these kids. After that, they have figured out that their wants are being met, and they feel successful in their communication attempts.

Now, this is HARD. It takes a LOT of work to teach the signs and immeasurable dedication to not give up when your child hasn't caught on after the 8,491st repetition.

BUT, it works!!! Chelsea knows more than 700 signs, and will approximate many signs with her verbal approximations, which increases my chance of understanding her wants. In the above video, she said, "Mommy please push me high"

Benefits:

• Your child will be able to communicate with you!
• The hungry/ hurt/ thirsty/ tired/ bored questions will be answered!
• You and your child will be able to talk to deaf people, who are the most HILARIOUS story tellers in the world, by the way
• You can scold your child in public and everyone who doesn't know sign thinks it is adorable that you sign, so no stink eye
• Your child will feel successful and accomplished!
• It is the perfect language for visual and/ or tactile learners
• We use ASL as verbal prompts, one of the reasons Chelsea has some speech!