Baby Sign Language Thread #3

[Khalam's Mama]

True, thanks

[BareFootMomma]

I think she had a light bulb moment this past weekend! She is consistently signing more and airplane, and signed Daddy for the first time while we were reading through a signing time book. All done still gets turned into clapping, but its ok because I know she is getting it!

[alethiaperry]

I haven't followed this thread for some time now... but I thought I'd jump back in.  My DS is now 19mos and has nearly 150 signs I'd say... and understands even more of them.  BUT he seems to be lacking in verbal communication.  I'm convinced he's just taking his time talking and that the signing isn't what's delaying him... but I sometimes wonder. 
He can hear perfectly well, and actually communicates well too.  He chatters lots, but his words are so far from being intelligible to most.  I mean, I can understand him... "ma" means "up", "Gaga" means "Daddy", Animal sounds are the animal, and the list goes on.  But no one else knows what he's saying.  Also, he says "gaga"for about 5 different things and "bada" means another 10 (at least), and if it weren't for the signs, even I wouldn't be able to tell the difference! 

So... is the signing making him lazy?  Or... shall I just be super grateful that we did sign in the first place, cause he's able to communicate so effectively until his speech does catch up with his peers?

[*Ali*]

We have recently started signing so I thought I would jump on here too. We mainly do bath, potty, pee, poo, eat, more, dirty, milk, good, all done, yes and no. Some more consistently than others as I find it difficult to sign when I have food etc. in my hands. He doesn't do any signs back yet but I am sure he understands bath and potty as we do them lots and he gets excited about baths and claps when I sign potty. I think he claps because I clap him when he does something on his potty. I could be wrong though..
I don't know much about your queries Leath but I don't know many 19mo that say too many words that can be easily understood by people other than their parents. I never understand what LOs say around 2yo and it amazes me that their parents do sometimes. How is he doing now? I see your message was a while ago. 150 signs that is amazing! Did you start with all these at once or add more and more as you went along?

[alethiaperry]

Wow.  I posted this so long ago... I didn't know if anyone was following this thread any more. 
Cadie's mom-
we started with the same signs you're starting with and then added as we went along.  Once DS showed an intrest in something, I would look up the sign for it... he caught on to those ones MUCH quicker than the ones I thought he should know;)
DS#1 is fianally adding spoken words to his vocab daily.  He's even starting to pronounce the old ones more clearly and correctly! 

Signing is really worth it.  Glad we started when we did... could never have known he'd be so far behind his peers.

[RachelC]

Signing is really worth it.  Glad we started when we did... could never have known he'd be so far behind his peers.

Exactly!  Start early... it does not hinder speech and if a speech delay is in there, you have another way of communicating!  Glad to hear you are started to get more and more spoken language as well 

[*Ali*]

How old were your LOs when you started signing and how long did it take for them to start signing back?

[RachelC]

We started around 7 months with Paige and she was signing back quickly.  We signed with Jalyn sooner, since we had Paige around to help remind us   but she didn't sign back as quickly.  There is a WIDE range of how long it takes to get those signs back.

[*Ali*]

Thanks I shall just keep at it then

[alethiaperry]

DS was about 5 months when we started, but then started to sign back at about 8m with "more".  By 10 months he seemed to catch on that most things had a sign and he started to look for one.

[lyeats44]

We have been sigining on and off since my LO was 6 months or so and didnt see a ton of response from her until the last week and its like she just relized that she could communicate with signs and she is goign crazy!!  More is her most used sign followed by eat!!   Sometimes she gets so excited that she gets her signs all confused and just starts signing everything she knows!  I didnt know she was interested, but all of a sudden within 2 days she was signing more, eat, milk, all done, and no.... now I need to brush up on my signs to start introducing new ones!

[alethiaperry]

lyeats440- very exciting isn't it?  Stick with it, your little one with look for more and more signs all the time now!

[MummyToBen]

We have been sigining on and off since my LO was 6 months or so and didnt see a ton of response from her until the last week and its like she just relized that she could communicate with signs and she is goign crazy!!  More is her most used sign followed by eat!!   Sometimes she gets so excited that she gets her signs all confused and just starts signing everything she knows!  I didnt know she was interested, but all of a sudden within 2 days she was signing more, eat, milk, all done, and no.... now I need to brush up on my signs to start introducing new ones!

  it's great isn't it!  Well done for persevering xx

[firsttimemummy]

DS did his first sign around 6 months and now he is 20 months and knows over 50 signs .... his speech is so much further on that lots of friends his age, and I think it is only because I know what the "noises" mean as he signs to back them up if they are unclear!  For the words that are clear he doesn't sign so I have no concerns about signing detracting from speech   Can't stress my love for signing enough!!!!  I just now wish I had started with Makaton as a friend's LO has special needs and will probably use Makaton!

[lyeats44]

She used more for something other than food today, which is giving me confidence that she isnt just copying me, she might actually understand.  I was playing "this little piggy" on her toes and she loves it.. when I finished she signed more for me to do it again! 

Im very excited!!!