sign language

[Guest guest]

While I think your advice is great and may apply to most kids, the " old

school " thought that signing can hinder speaking actually did apply to my child.

Just with everything else, the choice to sign should be individualized. I am

glad to hear that your child did so well though. Carolyn

[Guest guest]

hi,

I knew when I posted that info about sign, it would have responses. As we all

know this is controversal subject and its debated all the time.

In defense of myself, when I said it not a common 2nd language, I meant that

most speaking people(non-disabled) did not know sign, not that its not common

with people who use it as communication tool. In my experience we choose to use

PECS instead of signing because PECS are more universally understood. Everyone

understands pictures. For example if the child were to get a burger at

mcdonald's, the sales person would understand a picture of a burger rather than

the sign. Its faster too, the sales person would take the time more and not

give up if a picture is given, just think how busy mcdonald's could get.

Just my opionion, I just didn't want people to think that I thought sign was

not a common language. and yes everyone's experience is unique, and as I said

in my e-mail I use sign with my son with some hard words and things he does not

get like colors. I feel sometimes if he has another visual other than the color

itself maybe he would get colors.

i did not want offend anyone, we are all here to help and thanks for bringing up

the debate, I think its a good one.

chris

[Guest guest]

My slp wants to use sign while he is learning to become vocal. He is

nearly nonverbal- with moans, cries, dirty(approximation), & no as his only

verbal communication.

What is everyones opinions on the differences between SEE, PSE, and ASL?

Are the basic words the same in SEE & ASL but in Asl the grammer is unique &

some words are not used like a, an, the etc....? if so:

My thoughts are: ASL in this area I can find preschools easier for deaf/hoh kids

that use cued speech with ASL- and for reading since he is very slightly hard of

hearing, he will know english grammer from hearing people talk.

would at least have some common ground .

On the other hand thinking optimistically sign will just be temporary and he

needs english grammer primarily so SEE or PSE would be best.

What do y'all think of my reasoning/questions. The main reason I am asking is I

am buying some materials to learn, and don't particularly enjoy wasting money.

Thanks

Sheri & 23months

[Guest guest]

Sheri--

First to clarify that I am FAR from an expert, but rather to express

my opinion, I would stick to ASL. If is hearing and he hears

proper examples, he'll eventually get the " a " s, " the " s, etc. The way

I personally view it is that ASL is a recognized language, just like

Spanish or Chinese or any other spoken language. If he " speaks " a

standard language with his hands, he'll be understood by more

teachers and professionals working with him down the road. As far as

reading, when deaf children learn to read, they eventually understand

all the articles of speech, so why wouldn't your child? And if ASL

teaching is available in your area, why not take advantage of that?

He'd have a support system and be able to communicate with others who

speak that language more easily.

I think part of the reason I take this view is that my son was meant

to be bilingual growing up, in Spanish and English. My husband is

originally from Ecuador, so his first language is Spanish, and we

still have a lot of Spanish speaking relatives, including his

grandma, whose English after 20+ years is still a bit on the broken

side. Instead, his second language, even though it's in bits and

pieces, is ASL. He's far from proficient at it, but he's always been

taught the proper ASL signs. At one time we considered sending my

son to a deaf school (even though he's hearing) for preschool, and

the admissions director was impressed with the ASL he had learned, as

she understood it. (We opted not to go, as it was a full day program

5 times a week, and that seemed a bit too much for a 3 year old. But

I loved the program otherwise.) Fortunately, even my husband agrees,

despite pressure from the elders in the family, that Drew can learn

Spanish is school (which these days is in elementary school around

here!) with the other kids. His primary language is English, and he

needs to master that first. Drew still hears plenty of Spanish

around him, so when he does formally learn it, it will be very

comfortable for him to hear.

That's just my opinion on the whole thing-- think of ASL as a true

language, and treat it as such, and as long as you continue to

provide the correct verbal model for him, not only when you speak but

as you read aloud to him, he'll pick up on the nuaces of the Engllish

language.

Hope that helps...

le (mom to Drew, age 3, apraxia, DSI and hypotonia)

>

> My slp wants to use sign while he is learning to become

vocal. He is nearly nonverbal- with moans, cries, dirty

(approximation), & no as his only verbal communication.

> What is everyones opinions on the differences between SEE, PSE, and

ASL?

> Are the basic words the same in SEE & ASL but in Asl the grammer is

unique & some words are not used like a, an, the etc....? if so:

> My thoughts are: ASL in this area I can find preschools easier for

deaf/hoh kids that use cued speech with ASL- and for reading since he

is very slightly hard of hearing, he will know english grammer from

hearing people talk.

> would at least have some common ground .

> On the other hand thinking optimistically sign will just be

temporary and he needs english grammer primarily so SEE or PSE would

be best.

>

> What do y'all think of my reasoning/questions. The main reason I am

asking is I am buying some materials to learn, and don't particularly

enjoy wasting money.

> Thanks

> Sheri & 23months

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheri -

I just researched this and decided to use Signed Exact English. I

know that ASL is more popular and is easier to find (and probably to

use) BUT if you have a child who doesn't learn language " on-time "

they are much more likely to have syntax issues. My oldest son,

nearly 6, has been discharged from speech for nearly a year now.

He's been speaking since he was 3 and has a VERY high IQ. He still

has significant syntax errors. He's understandable, but he his order

is wrong and he doesn't seem to be picking it up. We'll see where he

is in a year or so. My youngest has receptive and expressive delays -

significant - and it's him I'm thinking of signing with. At the

request of my ST, I researched all available sources - ASL, Pigeon

and SEE - I called our local school for the deaf (very respected and

well known throughout the midwest) and the director said that ASL is

essentially slang - and without true grammar. It does nothing to

help the building blocks of language beyond naming things - and that

is exactly the hump I'm trying to get my son over!

So - that's my two cents - it's different for each and every child

and you will surely make the right decision for your child!

Good luck!

Marina

>

> My slp wants to use sign while he is learning to become

vocal. He is nearly nonverbal- with moans, cries, dirty

(approximation), & no as his only verbal communication.

> What is everyones opinions on the differences between SEE, PSE, and

ASL?

> Are the basic words the same in SEE & ASL but in Asl the grammer is

unique & some words are not used like a, an, the etc....? if so:

> My thoughts are: ASL in this area I can find preschools easier for

deaf/hoh kids that use cued speech with ASL- and for reading since he

is very slightly hard of hearing, he will know english grammer from

hearing people talk.

> would at least have some common ground .

> On the other hand thinking optimistically sign will just be

temporary and he needs english grammer primarily so SEE or PSE would

be best.

>

> What do y'all think of my reasoning/questions. The main reason I am

asking is I am buying some materials to learn, and don't particularly

enjoy wasting money.

> Thanks

> Sheri & 23months

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think sign language helped my son's speech immensely. I think children

with apraxia should use sign if at all possible, because signing is

motor-planning practice. It has been shown to use the same brain pathways

as speech. If she can't express her wants and needs, signing is a nice way

to get her communicating. And it is not " giving up " on speech, but rather

giving her an interim communication method until her speech is better.

[ ] sign language

Our daughter is 3 1/2 yrs. old. Just diagnosed with apraxia. Been

receiving speech therapy in the school system for 8 months. Speech

is very unintelligible. Just wondering if we should start teaching

her sign language. Would that help her frustration? Would that

increase her speech or further delay it?

[Guest guest]

Although I rarely get in here on a subject these days, I wanted to respond to

this one. My daughter uses as much sign language as she knows to help

facilitate her communication. Sometimes, she cannot find a word or sometimes

she

simply cannot pronounce it so that others can understand what she is saying.

When she adds a sign for the word, she not only provides a visual clue for the

listener, but also improves her own pronunciation cues. Sometimes, when she is

really tired, she will communicate with me in sign only -- when she says,

" Too may woods day! " (Too many words today!) I am using the article from

Apraxia

Kids, bookmarked below, to help the school understand the importance of her

having access to some signing, as it seems to make a huge difference for her.

By the way, my daughter's fine motor skills are also fairly significantly

affected by the apraxia and some of her signs are not totally accurate.

However,

she gets closer with some signs than with many words, and she recognizes signs

-- when others cue her -- quite easily.

Just my two cents worth,

Carol

(in Oklahoma)

Also thought the following might be helpful.

Click here: Using Sign Language With Children Who Have Apraxia of Speech

[Guest guest]

YES, YES, YES! I know there are people who would disagree but we found sign

language to be very, very helpful for Josh in getting over some of the

frustrations in not being able to communicate verbally. He didn't have a lot of

signs, but enough to manage some simple situations. Then we started on the

ProEFA and words started coming in - the signs eased off and it's a rare

instance that he uses sign now. There are a lot of books, flash cards, videos,

and your child's speech therapist should have some signs to teach. We made up

some (Josh's fine motor skills were wanting so some signs were very difficult to

do), we taught our signs to kids at his daycare (he's now in 1st grade), the

teachers posted signs around the rooms with sign pictures and incorporated sign

into the daily routine (there was also a hearing impaired child in Josh's

daycare). So, my recommendation, FWIW, go for the signs.

Sherry

bunlew <bunnylew@...> wrote:

Our daughter is 3 1/2 yrs. old. Just diagnosed with apraxia. Been

receiving speech therapy in the school system for 8 months. Speech

is very unintelligible. Just wondering if we should start teaching

her sign language. Would that help her frustration? Would that

increase her speech or further delay it?

[Guest guest]

We began teaching our daughter signs at 4 mo, way before we even knew

she'd have a speech disorder. I can't imagine how our lives would be

without it. She knows 70+ signs and does not seem to get frustrated

at all. She is doing great with her speech now (30+ words at 2.5) so

she drops the signs for words she knows. We haven't been teaching

her new signs lately bc the speech has been progressing, but we

really are happy she has the signs to supplement her speech.

All the research I've ever seen has said that it increases

vocabulary. You need to do what is right for your family.

Good luck.

[Guest guest]

I just want to " second " the Signing Time video recommendation. My 19 mos. old

son LOVES them and now makes the sign for " signing " in front of the TV when he

wants to watch it!

Noelle

<staz@...> wrote:

,

Hi.. our daughter won't even try to sign.... UNTIL our speech therapist

recommended signing times ( http://www.signingtime.com/) It is a fun video,

several different volumes are available.. They offer signs with children

signing them and really catchy songs to go with them.. I always find myself

singing them . LOL.. Our daughter loves to watch the videos over and over

and over and now signs them all.... We ended up buying all the volumes..

I'd highly recommend them.

-----Original Message-----

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I am unable to access the signing times web site. Can you please give me

another web site or a store that I can purchase this video?

Bonnye - Faith's mommy

<staz@...> wrote:

,

Hi.. our daughter won't even try to sign.... UNTIL our speech therapist

recommended signing times ( http://www.signingtime.com/) It is a fun video,

several different volumes are available.. They offer signs with children

signing them and really catchy songs to go with them.. I always find myself

singing them . LOL.. Our daughter loves to watch the videos over and over

and over and now signs them all.... We ended up buying all the volumes..

I'd highly recommend them.

[Guest guest]

I got my Signing Time DVDs from Amazon.com.

[Guest guest]

Bonnye,

I just ordered the video from Ebay. They have them unopened for sale on that

site. I couldn't access that other website either. Good Luck

[Guest guest]

amazon sells it. Also here

http://wholefamilymarket.com/Signing-Time-Video-DVD-Gift-Set-p-405.html

Nichole

Mom to Dade 11/29/01 and Leia 2/7/04

RE: [ ] Sign Language

Hi,

I am unable to access the signing times web site. Can you please give me

another web site or a store that I can purchase this video?

Bonnye - Faith's mommy

<staz@...> wrote:

,

Hi.. our daughter won't even try to sign.... UNTIL our speech therapist

recommended signing times ( http://www.signingtime.com/) It is a fun video,

several different volumes are available.. They offer signs with children

signing them and really catchy songs to go with them.. I always find myself

singing them . LOL.. Our daughter loves to watch the videos over and over

and over and now signs them all.... We ended up buying all the volumes..

I'd highly recommend them.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Jeanne here great story, nice to have you back.

> Hi all!

>

> I have been reading a lot about sign language recently on this list.

> Just wanted to share a story about signing and my son. was

> diagnosed with severe verbal dyspraxia, oral apraxia, hypotonia,

gerd

> (reflux), and sensory issues at the age of 2 1/2. We immediatly

started

> trying to teach him signs at the request of his private SLP. She

would

> teach him signs in sessions and then come out and teach me. I

didn't

> think it was working so well, but kept it up constantly. When he

first

> started making his first signs it was great - but the best was yet

to

> come. never slept well. He had really bad night terrors and

> also would sleep walk. As I was getting ready to go to bed one

night, I

> stood in his doorway as I always do to whisper his prayers to him

and

> send my own prayers for him. I was amazed at what I saw. He was

> signing in his sleep!! I realized then that through sign language

I was

> able to give my baby a voice in his dreams! It was a " light bulb "

> moment and my heart filled with so much pride!

>

> is now turning 8 in July. Although he doesn't sign anymore

he

> tells everyone he meets that he used to talk with his hands when he

was

> little. I certainly know it is something I will never forget and

will

> forever be grateful for!!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That's a great story, ! When our son turned 2, he started in a

Verbal Behavior program. The first thing the teacher did was to start

teaching him sign language. My husband was completely opposed to this-

felt it would only delay the onset of speech and I was kind of caught

in the middle. Well, I'll be darned if he didn't learn 50 signs in a

matter of a few weeks - and then the words came like a torrent! He

dropped the signs immediately (like they told us he would) but it was

interesting that, when he had laryngitis last week, he signed for

juice, cookie, book and other things he wanted or needed.

My husband and I are now great advocates of teaching children sign

language. What a wonderful tool for expression.

Glad to hear your son is doing so well!

Kim

Nick (2.10)

> Hi all!

>

> I have been reading a lot about sign language recently on this list.

> Just wanted to share a story about signing and my son. was

> diagnosed with severe verbal dyspraxia, oral apraxia, hypotonia, gerd

> (reflux), and sensory issues at the age of 2 1/2. We immediatly started

> trying to teach him signs at the request of his private SLP. She would

> teach him signs in sessions and then come out and teach me. I didn't

> think it was working so well, but kept it up constantly. When he first

> started making his first signs it was great - but the best was yet to

> come. never slept well. He had really bad night terrors and

> also would sleep walk. As I was getting ready to go to bed one night, I

> stood in his doorway as I always do to whisper his prayers to him and

> send my own prayers for him. I was amazed at what I saw. He was

> signing in his sleep!! I realized then that through sign language I was

> able to give my baby a voice in his dreams! It was a " light bulb "

> moment and my heart filled with so much pride!

>

> is now turning 8 in July. Although he doesn't sign anymore he

> tells everyone he meets that he used to talk with his hands when he was

> little. I certainly know it is something I will never forget and will

> forever be grateful for!!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That is a GREAT story. It's strange how people ask jokingly if you can sign in

your sleep like people talk in their sleep. But it's true, they really do. My

son would sign milk in his sleep. Thank you for sharing your story, that is very

touching, and I know I will never forget what a blessing ASL was for us to. ( I

actually went to the video shoot for Signing Time and my son will be in their

next set of videos) so maybe I can preserve a piece of his childhood that way

and he can remember happy things and not just the struggles and doctors

appointments.

le

Mother to Curtis, 2 yrs with verbal apraxia

Carnell <@...> wrote:

Hi all!

I have been reading a lot about sign language recently on this list.

Just wanted to share a story about signing and my son. was

diagnosed with severe verbal dyspraxia, oral apraxia, hypotonia, gerd

(reflux), and sensory issues at the age of 2 1/2. We immediatly started

trying to teach him signs at the request of his private SLP. She would

teach him signs in sessions and then come out and teach me. I didn't

think it was working so well, but kept it up constantly. When he first

started making his first signs it was great - but the best was yet to

come. never slept well. He had really bad night terrors and

also would sleep walk. As I was getting ready to go to bed one night, I

stood in his doorway as I always do to whisper his prayers to him and

send my own prayers for him. I was amazed at what I saw. He was

signing in his sleep!! I realized then that through sign language I was

able to give my baby a voice in his dreams! It was a " light bulb "

moment and my heart filled with so much pride!

is now turning 8 in July. Although he doesn't sign anymore he

tells everyone he meets that he used to talk with his hands when he was

little. I certainly know it is something I will never forget and will

forever be grateful for!!

[Guest guest]

Hey Girlfriend!

The story I have about sign language isn't as amazing as yours

(which was basically what replaced and became " the reason for sign "

for The Late Talker book's final version)

Tanner as I've posted only was taught simple signs, probably because

once on EFAs he started to be able to say simple words, and also

because the Summit Speech School even though it's for the hearing

impaired -acknowledged but didn't encourage the use of ASL in school

as much as verbal communication. The theory in the oral based

hearing impaired schools is that a deaf child who is nonverbal by 5

probably will never speak verbally -but one can learn to sign at any

age. While that theory worked for hearing impaired children -sign

for apraxic children is wonderful -but Summit Speech School in all

other ways was perfect. (again -Tanner has normal hearing -he was

just schooled for his preschool years at this school in out of

district placement and it was incredible for him and a vast amount

of other hearing apraxic children who like Tanner are also

mainstreamed and great students today)

One of the first simple signs taught to Tanner back then was the word " more " To

say more in sign language you take all your fingertips and lightly

tap them together a few times.

Tanner was taught simple sign and simple picture exchange

communication for the same reasons as the other children here -at 2

to 4 he was essentially nonverbal and also during that time he

rarely smiled or showed any type of facial expression. Tanner for

the most part at 2 and 3 always had a blank look on his face so it

was hard to know just what he was thinking. Was he happy? What was

he thinking. At times it was hard, just so frustrating.

I mainly have the rare smile moments on the CHERAB site

Bottom of page here -classic " Tanner " look he was known for:

http://www.cherab.org/news/indexnews.html

This story happened during that period and right before or around

the time we first started the EFAs.

Tanner had a cold and I had just given him some kid flavored cold

medicine. As always I talked to him never expecting him to answer -

just one way conversations. I asked with a big smile " That's good

stuff huh?! " Tanner looked up and me with no expression as always.

Then he lifted up his hands toward me, took his fingertips and

started to tap them together. At first slow, then a bit faster. He

just kept tapping them together and staring up at me (probably

waiting for me to say something since I always said something!) But

there I was in shock -holding the spoon and staring at him " talking "

to me. You see -that was the first time that Tanner 'ever' talked

to me. And yes it was to me just as clear as if he said " I want

more "

I'll never forget I called everyone to share. To think of it today

I'm sure most of the people I called probably had not a clue why that

was such a profound moment to me -probably thought I was losing it.

You know what though - even today it's one of the most precious

moments.

And boy -how far we've come from then -now I have Tanner reading

about Granny Torrelli to me and we are discussing about Rosie's best

friend Baily who is visually impaired and why he had to go to a

different school then Rosie. How Tanner went to a different

preschool then most others...which reminds me.

Other than remembering he talked with his hands -does

bring up other stuff from when he was nonverbal that he remembers

today? For all of you with little kids that are still nonverbal -

just wait till they can talk, they'll blow you away with what they

recall and how they viewed it!

=====

[Guest guest]

,

Your story brought a huge smile to my face, how sweet.

My daughter began learning the basic ( more, all done, etc... )

signs at 20 months, it was the first thing her slp worked on when

she began speech therapy.

At 3 1/2 she still has a long way to go, but words have replaced all

but one of her signs, the one for i love you. When she puts her arms

around herself to show me i love you, i melt. It would be okay if

she never lost that sign. It's a constant & good reminder of how far

she has come.

> Hi all!

>

> I have been reading a lot about sign language recently on this

list.

> Just wanted to share a story about signing and my son. was

> diagnosed with severe verbal dyspraxia, oral apraxia, hypotonia,

gerd

> (reflux), and sensory issues at the age of 2 1/2. We immediatly

started

> trying to teach him signs at the request of his private SLP. She

would

> teach him signs in sessions and then come out and teach me. I

didn't

> think it was working so well, but kept it up constantly. When he

first

> started making his first signs it was great - but the best was yet

to

> come. never slept well. He had really bad night terrors

and

> also would sleep walk. As I was getting ready to go to bed one

night, I

> stood in his doorway as I always do to whisper his prayers to him

and

> send my own prayers for him. I was amazed at what I saw. He was

> signing in his sleep!! I realized then that through sign language

I was

> able to give my baby a voice in his dreams! It was a " light bulb "

> moment and my heart filled with so much pride!

>

> is now turning 8 in July. Although he doesn't sign anymore

he

> tells everyone he meets that he used to talk with his hands when

he was

> little. I certainly know it is something I will never forget and

will

> forever be grateful for!!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone

Can you please suggest any good video of sign language for my

soon to be 4yrs old severly apraxic son(hardly says 2-3words).

thanks a lot

Archana

[Guest guest]

My son started at 18 months and is now 2 1/2 and know more than 150 signs now. I

totally recommend Signing Time!! Even tough your son is 4, I would start with

the first set of three, which is slower to introduce sign, but the second set is

a little faster and more fun. Thier next set of 3 will be comming out this fall,

and they are releasing Baby signing time, geared towards the younger kids, but

if anyone is ordering them...look for the little brown haired boy, with the big

dimples...That's my boy!! I don't think there is anything else out there that

make signing so much fun...even for me!! You can usually find a copy at the

local library, to try it out before you buy. Hope that helps.

http://signingtime.com/

I also like to use this site to look up signs when my son is asking for them,

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

Best Wishes,

le

Mother to Curtis, 2 1/2 yrs old Dx verbal apraxia

archana214 <archana214@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone

Can you please suggest any good video of sign language for my

soon to be 4yrs old severly apraxic son(hardly says 2-3words).

thanks a lot

Archana

[Guest guest]

Our first therapist suggested that we teach my son sign right off the bat. after

seeing me son for a couple of sessions she said that it would be a good idea to

teach him sign to ease frustration so that he can focus on trying to say the

word and not trying to get me to understand him. It has been an absolute

blessing for us. My sons entire personality changed. Who knew that he had such a

wonderful imagination, and such big dimples when he smiles really big. When we

started with the new slp she first told me I needed to stop using sign with him

because he was " using it as a crutch " . I tossed and turned because at this point

he already knew 60 signs. I finally decided that his quality of life was more

important than his speech (but it's a very close second) and that I can not take

sign away from him. after only a few weeks of getting to know my son, she now

fully supports me using sign at home, they just act like they don't know it in

therapy so that he can work more on speech while

he is there. I want him to always have ASL, it can help him get a job and

involved in the deaf community or he can use it if he is uncomfortable using his

voice. Right now it is so much easier because when he wants me to pull out his

chair so he can sit at the table a color and he can't say any of it, he can sign

" help, chair, colors " and I know what he is talking about. Now that I know, I

can help him to try to say the words to " Curtis say " h.e.l.p " and he will

attempt it and then I will tell him " Good using you words!! " and he just eats it

up. You have to remember that when using sign it is very important to stress the

word WITH the sign.

Here are some resources for you if you would like to teach your dd sign. I

HIGHLY recommend signing time movies!!:

http://www.signingtime.com/

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

http://garlicpress.com/cgi-bin/shop_gp.cgi?product=SIGN%20LANGUAGE

I hope this helps you

Best wishes

le

mother to Curtis 2 1/2 dx verbal apraxia

mosense <mosense@...> wrote:

my dd 4yrs has been doing sign language since EI. her preschool doesnt

teach it. i guess i thought the speech would be better by now, so i

didnt go deep into the signing. now some drs are saying we should do

more signing. has anyone used signing while waiting for the speech to

come? do i take a class to help her learn more while school is

teaching her how to make signs?

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone!

Under what circumstances would i need to introduce sign language?

My son is currently being diagnosed as verbal apraxic- he has just finishe

dphysical therapy after six months in early intervention. he will continue with

occupational therapy-

he has words- and can speak the words he does have clearly- but i am

wondering what part sign language may play in our future? We are also currently

looking to enroll him in an integrated classroom, nursery, and i know that they

do

teach some sign- in a school he was in for a few days they taught the word

apple and yellow in sign-

at what age is a child capable of learning sign? i would imagine it would

take years for an adult to learn?

Thanks for your help

Cohen

[Guest guest]

Hi

My daughter Tabatha has DVD and is 3.

She can say maybe 10 words that anybody can understand but the rest of the time

we just had to take pot luck in working out what she was saying.

She started speech therapy 5 months ago and is being taught how to sign using

the Makaton signs.

The first 4 signs she learnt where help, more, finish and drink.

We kept using these signs when talking to her and it took her a month before she

understood what the signs meant.

The first time she came to me asking for help was just the best and she realized

too that she had done something good. After that she was more willing to learn.

Now she can do 16 signs and it is making life so much easier for all of us.

Once she understands one lot of signs we then learn 4 more.

I found that doing it this way is easier for her and also the rest of the family

and also for her carer, and the other children that the carer has.

The highlight for me was when she used sign to tell me that she was hungry and

wanted more to eat and drink, this was her first sentence and now she is doing

it more and more.

Hope this was of some help to you.

Regards

ine

kal4me@... wrote:

Hi everyone!

Under what circumstances would i need to introduce sign language?

My son is currently being diagnosed as verbal apraxic- he has just finishe

dphysical therapy after six months in early intervention. he will continue with

occupational therapy-

he has words- and can speak the words he does have clearly- but i am

wondering what part sign language may play in our future? We are also currently

looking to enroll him in an integrated classroom, nursery, and i know that they

do

teach some sign- in a school he was in for a few days they taught the word

apple and yellow in sign-

at what age is a child capable of learning sign? i would imagine it would

take years for an adult to learn?

Thanks for your help

Cohen

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

My son just turned 2, and his speech therapist is convinced he has verbal

apraxia - its just getting the diagnosis confirmed by others that has been

difficult because he is so young - but I'm working on that to help get him

more services, since private speech therapy is so expensive. Right now we've

got 1 session speech and 1 OT from regional center and we've increased

speech to twice a week out of pocket, but feel he still needs more. We

started signing with him a few months ago and it has done wonders for

decreasing frustration. He can now tell us what's on his mind (and there's a

lot there!). Within the first 2 weeks he aquired over 50 signs (and we have

been told that he is moderately cognatively delayed - I now believe its all

apraxia and he's actually a smart little guy). Its tough to let people know

what you know when you can't communicate.

Its a lot of work and you need buy-in from your family for everyone to learn

the signs. Its just as frustrating if you child knows signs that no one else

understands, than if you don't understand his words. There is a video

series by a company called " two little hands " that is fantastic. There are 6

videos - put together by a motivated mom whose daughter is deaf. It really

is very well done, and has CDs with the music they use in the videos which

re-inforces the signs. We have been so thrilled that we bought this (it

costs about $125 for the series - totally worth it), and only wish we had

started it sooner. Its great for basic signs. Its actually difficult to

really understand how to do the signing correctly from a book. It helps to

actually see them done. There are some people who suggest that signing will

delay speech and there is no evidence to back this up. If anything it

encourages speech since the child learns the value of communication.

You can check it out and purchase on-line: www.signintime.com Good

uck. -

[ ] Re: Sign language

Hi everyone!

Under what circumstances would i need to introduce sign language?

My son is currently being diagnosed as verbal apraxic- he has just finishe

dphysical therapy after six months in early intervention. he will continue

with

occupational therapy-

he has words- and can speak the words he does have clearly- but i am

wondering what part sign language may play in our future? We are also

currently

looking to enroll him in an integrated classroom, nursery, and i know that

they do

teach some sign- in a school he was in for a few days they taught the word

apple and yellow in sign-

at what age is a child capable of learning sign? i would imagine it would

take years for an adult to learn?

Thanks for your help

Cohen