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Basic Baby Sign Language Chart

This document provides information on using simple sign language with children to help communicate before and during language development. Sign language can help children comprehend words and directions, express needs and wants, and reduce frustration when verbal skills are limited. It benefits children's social interaction, understanding, and ability to get their needs met. Sign language supports children with speech delays, processing challenges, autism, English learning needs, hearing impairments, cognitive delays, and behaviors. The document outlines how to successfully implement sign language through modeling signs and words, using them in interactions, allowing observation time, praising signing attempts, and fading signs as words develop.

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General Pandora
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views

Basic Baby Sign Language Chart

This document provides information on using simple sign language with children to help communicate before and during language development. Sign language can help children comprehend words and directions, express needs and wants, and reduce frustration when verbal skills are limited. It benefits children's social interaction, understanding, and ability to get their needs met. Sign language supports children with speech delays, processing challenges, autism, English learning needs, hearing impairments, cognitive delays, and behaviors. The document outlines how to successfully implement sign language through modeling signs and words, using them in interactions, allowing observation time, praising signing attempts, and fading signs as words develop.

Uploaded by

General Pandora
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SIMPLE SIGN LANGUAGE INFORMATION SHEET 
This document is also located on our website www.inclusioncollaborative.org
   
  Purpose: 
  • Help a child comprehend vocabulary & 
  directions 
  • Provide an alternative method to 
  communicate needs and wants 
  • Act as a bridge until words are developed 
   

Benefits: enables a child to... 
Infants  and  toddlers  use  gestures,  "signs 
• Improve social interaction with others by 
that  are  universal  and  easily  identified  by  all,"  to 
signing needs and wants 
communicate needs and wants (Brown & Clements, 
• Reduce the frustration and stress of not 
2005,  p.14).    They  wave  goodbye,  raise  their  arms 
being able to communicate 
to be held, and pull on someone's pants to get their 
attention ‐‐ all before any words are spoken.  Once  • Understand what is being said 
the  toddler  realizes  that  it's  faster  to  use  words,  • Communicate and get needs met 
 

then gestures begin to fade away. Without gestures  Can support children who have... 
infants  and  toddlers  can  get  very  frustrated  until  • Speech and Language Delays 
adults figure out their needs.  Similarly children with  • Difficulty Processing Verbal Input 
disabilities  or  special  needs  can  also  get  frustrated  • Autism & Asperger Syndrome 
when  they  do  not  understand  verbal  directions  or  • English As a Second Language 
have  limited  or  no  speech  to  get  their  needs  met.  • Hearing Impairments 
This frustration can lead to behavior challenges.   • Cognitive Delays 
Gestures  and  sign  language  are  the  bridge  • Challenging Behaviors  
that  help  children  comprehend  verbal  directions   

and  communicate  their  needs  even  though  they  Directions for Successful Implementation: 


might have limited or no spoken language.  Like the  • Become familiar with the simple signs on 
toddlers above, children with special needs will fade  language sheets 
away  the  use  of  sign  language  once  words  are  • Model the sign and say the word while using 
developed.    But,  doesn't  the  use  of  sign  language  objects ‐‐ this helps the child to connect the 
seriously delay spoken language?  No, this is a myth  sign to the object  
and  has  not  been  proven  (Brown  &  Clements,  • Model the sign and say the word during 
2005).  Sign language will reinforce speech when it  social interactions 
is  accompanied  by  the  spoken  word  it  represents.   • Allow children time to observe the new signs 
For  example,  an  adult  should  say  "more"  while  • When children use gestures model back the 
simultaneously  signing  it.    Consequently,  the  child  correct sign and say the word  
sees  and  hears  the  word.    Once  the  child  starts  • Encourage children to make the signs with 
using spoken words, then the adult can fade out the  their hands 
use of sign language.    • Always praise children's attempts at signing  
• Gradually fade out the signs when children 
 

Reference: Brown, C. & Clements, J.  (2005).  Sign language for 
babies and toddlers.  San Diego: Thunder Bay Press.   develop words 
Supported by:

WARMENHOVEN
INSTITUTE FOR
INCLUSION

1290 Ridder Park Drive y MC 227 y San Jose, CA 95131 y (408) 453-6756 y FAX: 453-6596
www.inclusioncollaborative.org © 2009 Santa Clara County Office Of Education

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