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Sign language is useful for those individuals who have little or no verbal abilities or communication skills, including preverbal infants.

Persons with a variety of functioning levels can be taught to use sign language. Many aberrant behaviors associated with autism and other disabilities, such as aggression, tantrums, self-injury, anxiety, and depression, are often attributed to an inability to communicate to others. Signed speech may, at the very least, allow the person to communicate using signs and may stimulate verbal language skills.A common characteristic of individuals with autism is their inability to attend to the nonverbal, social gestures of others. When teaching a person to use sign language, another possible benefit may be the facilitation of their attentiveness to social gestures of others as well as of themselves.

There are several different forms of sign language. When implementing signed speech it is best to use the Signing Exact English or Signed English methods. This form of sign language uses the same syntax as spoken language and will help facilitate the use of syntactic rules of spoken language. For example, a statement using both Signed English and speech would be: Look at the table. In contrast, the syntax of American Sign Language would be: Table look. Since the majority of people do not understand sign language, it may be ideal to use some form of picture system or computerized communication device in addition to signed speech to enable communication with those who do not understand signs.

When beginning a sign language program, it is best to start with signs expressing needs, such as the need to eat, drink, and use the toilet. In this way, the person will be motivated to use the signs to communicate needs. It may take anywhere from a few minutes to a few months to teach the first sign, but as the person acquires more and more signs, it will be much easier and faster to learn new signs.

Learning to speak is usually accelerated by teaching sign language and speech at the same time. One possible reason is that both forms of communication stimulate the same area of the brain. PET scans, which measure the amount of activity occurring in the brain at a given time, indicate that the same area of the brain is activated when a person talks or when a person uses signs. Thus, when utilizing the signed speech method, the area of the brain involved in speech production is receiving stimulation from two sources (signing and speaking) rather than stimulation from one source (signing or speaking). Also, if there are problems with auditory processing, this form of communication should be unaffected.

American Sign Language (ASL) is a language that involves using your hands, body and face. ASL, just like all other languages, has levels of complexity. There are complicated grammar rules and sentence structures to remember. Not only do people who are deaf learn sign language, but some of them also learn how to lip-read and talk even though they can't hear! Most people learn ASL when they are very young. Sometimes, when they're only two or three years old.

There are different ways for people with hearing disabilities to communicate. Some people with hearing disabilities only use sign language. Others may lip-read and speak as well as use sign language.

Today, most children with hearing disabilities do not go to special schools. The teachers in these schools (containing children with and without hearing disabilities) stand before the class and talk and sign at the same time. This is called total speech. Not only do teachers do this but a lot of public speakers do too.

Using sign language, you can take advantage of your baby's natural abilities to communicate sooner and reduce the stress for the whole family! The level of frustration that children feel diminishes significantly when a child can tell you what she wants. Tantrums are often caused by a toddler's inability to communicate needs or wants. Using sign language, you can communicate with your baby as early as 6 months and reduce the number of tantrums you encounter. And fewer tantrums mean a better relationship!

Signing with your baby is easy and natural. Start between 6 and 9 months when your baby is starts interacting. If your baby is older, start now. It is never too early or too late to start. If you start earlier, you just might need to wait longer for results. If you start later, it helps with the frustration that occurs from 16-30 months due to inability to communicate. Even after babies can communicate, signing helps to bond the family.

Start with 3-5 signs for things you do freqently. The most common signs to start with are MILK, MORE, and EAT. If you know more signs, you can sign more. But, if you are learning along with your child, 3-5 signs is a manageable number to start with.

Use the signs every time you are in the right situation. For example, when you nurse or give your baby a bottle, say "Do you want some milk?" and sign MILK.

As your child learns the signs and begins to sign back, start adding other signs like APPLE and BANANA. Continue to use the signs you already use as you add new ones.

Be patient. It takes babies time to learn to sign, but they can recognize the signs long before they can make them. For example, babies will often show their anticipation when you sign MILK by grunting or panting.

Consider taking a class to learn the keys to successful signing and how to sign while reading and singing. Or check out a book or web site for more information.

No matter what you do, make it fun! Enjoy the deep sense of connection you feel when you begin to have two-way conversations. Here is a list of the benefits of signing with your hearing baby:

Signing allows your infant to clearly communicate specific thoughts.
Signing reduces frustration for your baby - and for you!
Signing gives you a window into your child's mind and personality.
Signing won't delay verbal language development - in fact, it may accelerate it. Research shows that babies who sign usually start to talk sooner and develop larger vocabularies than non-signing babies.
Signing reinforces verbal language by adding visual and kinesthetic emphasis to auditory input.
Signing children tend to be more interested in books.
Signing builds on babies' natural tendency to use gestures.

In conclusion, teaching sign language does not interfere with learning to talk and evidence indicates that teaching sign language along with speech actually accelerates verbal communication.

Click here to download a free ebook from the American Red Cross on the basics of signing.

Download a free ebook on signing for emergency situations

Sign With Your Baby (Book, Training Video & Quick Reference Guide) by Joseph Garcia.

With a few of the simple signs in hand, little ones can actually help mom and dad figure out what they need.

Parents looking for a new way to bond and communicate with their older infant and/or toddler now have one - this video, book and chart that teach elementary signing.

Eye contact, interaction and language development all get a boost from the kit.