Autism is something which is very close to my heart. When I was 10 years old my baby brother Patrick was born. I was the very proud older sister but as the months passed, my baby brother was not like all my other friends’ baby brothers. I remember when Patrick was 3 years old and was still not talking. This was causing a lot of anxiety for my parents and a lot of frustration for Patrick.

Sometimes there were temper tantrums, sometimes we knew what he wanted first guess. He seemed locked away in his own world and we did not have the tools to reach him. While Patricks diagnosis took a number of years before it was confirmed, during this pre-verbal time, baby sign language would have been a fun and useful tool to use with my baby brother.

I believe it would have made a real difference in Patricks early years. Patrick loved books and loved when someone read to him, which I did a lot. He loved looking at the pictures and the voices I would put on. He also loved when I sang nursery rhymes and did the actions. If I knew then what I know now, what would I have done differently with my brother?

I would have downloaded the Australian Baby Hands free baby sign language chart to learn 6 introductory signs. I would have used baby sign language with Patrick throughout the day, throughout his routines especially. I would teach him signs for his favourite things such as books, cars, teddy etc. I would read to him and incorporate signs into his story books. I would teach my parents signs to also help them communicate with my brother and I would teach my other brother the signs so he too could communicate with him. I would sing him nursery rhymes which did not have actions and do baby sign to the words.

Researchers suggest that the use of baby sign language increases the chances of autistic children learning spoken language while also providing them with a communication tool. Autistic children are able to learn baby sign language successfully as signs can be physically guided unlike speech.

You can move your child’s hands to demonstrate the sign you want them to create. Some sign language is iconic which means some signs produced symbolise the word we are trying to communicate. An example of an iconic sign would be the sign for car, which is the action of steering the wheel of a car. It is very clear what you are trying to communicate through this action.

Research has shown that the left hemisphere brain functions of autistic children have a differential disturbance. Since it is believed that signing is processed in the right hemisphere of the brain, this may be the reason why signing is easier for autistic children to learn. It is also believed that through acquiring sign language in the early days, the child is able to build up cognitive structures which are the basis for later learning.

I have had many emails over the years from parents who have Autistic children and have used baby sign language with them. Most parents have experienced a lot of benefit from using baby sign language with autistic children. For those who have experienced benefits, they have included reduced frustration for parents and children, an insight into their baby’s mind and a communication tool the whole family can use. As with all children, autistic children are individuals and some will benefit greatly from baby sign language and some may not be interested in it at all.

I would recommend trying baby sign language with all children, especially any child who has any sort of communication difficulty as it can break down the barriers of communication reduce frustration and help you gain an insight into your child’s mind.

With only 8 days to go, the count down has begun to the Baby & Toddler Show Melbourne.

We are looking forward to being a part of the show again this year and you can come visit us at stand 185.

The show is being held at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens in Melbourne.

The Opening times are from 9.30am to 4.30pm daily but you can get early entry to the show with an Early Bird Ticket (which you can buy here now), getting you into the show at 9am.

As well as having a stand at the expo, we are also being featured on the Bio-Oil Baby & Toddler Seminars. Our talk will be on baby sign language, the benefits, the frequently asked questions, the international research as well as where to start. You can catch the seminar each day at 3pm on the main stage.

If you can’t find our stand, just look for the stand with the cute baby featured in the picture here.

The Baby & Toddler Show is back in Melbourne from 8 to 10 April 2011! Bigger & better than ever before, this is a fabulous outing for parents-to-be and parents & their little ones. Featuring a shopping extravaganza (200 of the latest must-have brands), amazing children’s entertainment and fantastic “Show Only” offers.

I will be speaking each day on the Bio-Oil Stage at 3pm to answer all your questions on baby sign language. How to get started, what are the benefits, the 10 steps to signing success and much more. Amanda Crossland, our Whitehorse baby sign language teacher will also be there where she will be running a competition to win a FREE baby sign language class. You can come visit us on stand 185.

Don’t miss out on the Early Bird tickets. Buy your ticket now and receive 25% off the door price plus VIP entry!
It’s an event not to be missed! Find all the info at: www.babyandtoddlershow.com.au

Since the launch of Baby Hands, each week I get more and more emails from Australian grandparents asking questions on baby sign language, requesting more information on baby sign language or wanting to share their baby sign language story.

For those of you out there who are a grandparent and have not begun using baby sign language with your grandchildren, I will highlight the benefits of doing so and get you to join this amazing grand-parenting revolution.

In Australia today, we have a lot more couples having children and needing to return to work and rely on family or childcare to take care of their children.  We have seen over the last number of years a growing trend in childcare centres using Baby Hands baby sign language in their centres as they recognise the benefits of having a communication tool they can use with pre-verbal children.  This makes the childcare workers life easier and results in a calmer happier baby.

For those who are lucky enough to have grandparents living nearby, grandparents are assisting in minding their grandchildren and as a result the grandparenting baby signing revolution has begun.

So why would grandparents want or need to use baby signing with their grandchildren?

As well as dealing with the generation gap, grandparents can experience difficulty in understanding your baby as their speech develops.  Baby sign language offers grandparents an opportunity to communicate with their grandchildren in a fun educational way while strengthening the bond and communication between them.

Because Grandparents may not be around your baby as much they can find to more difficult to understand the ways that your baby try’s to communicate naturally, through expressions and gestures.

A lot of preverbal expression is through gesture and facial movements but if you are not completely familiar with a baby it can be more difficult to interpret their natural gestures (many parents still find this difficult with their own child which is why baby sign language is so useful).

But for Grandparents who are even less familiar with baby’s expressions and movements using baby sign can help them to really understand their grandchild and get involved in their world.

A number of Baby Hands signing grandparents started introducing baby sign language to their grandchildren by downloading the Baby Hands free baby sign language poster.  This introduces 6 of the most common signs and is a great starting point for any grandparent out there interested in getting started.  This chart covers the signs for eat, drink, milk and more which can all be used at mealtimes with your grandchild.

The final two signs on the chart are for Mum and Dad.  These signs can be used when the babys parents come home from work or are leaving the house or when you show the baby any photos of Mum and Dad.  Once you have mastered these signs, the Australian Baby Hands book or Baby Hands dvd is a great way to add to your signing vocabulary.  The dvd provides you with a dictionary of signs and there is the option to include subtitles while viewing.

There are lots of different activities you can do with your grandchildren which can incorporate baby sign language.  These include:

• Reading with your baby : signing some of the words in the book or pointing at the images in a book while doing a sign and saying the word
• Singing songs:  sign a nursery rhyme to your grandchild and incorporate some signs into it.  Think of how much children love incy wincy spider, it is exactly the same when you introduce signs to any of your grandchildrens nursery rhymes.
• Take a trip to the park, the zoo, the beach etc and point out things and do the sign for them.   Signs such as bird, swings, beach or animal signs are always popular among children.

As I say in my products, the most important part to baby signing is having fun.  Baby sign language provides grandparents with an amazing opportunity to get to know their pre-verbal grandchildren and also their verbal grandtoddlers who may be a little hard to comprehend.  Start building on that special bond with your grandchildren today with Baby Hands products and baby sign language classes.

I would love to hear from all you grandparents out there who are using it and would like to share their story with our newsletter readers.

When it comes to baby sign language things have changed a lot since I first started Baby Hands over 5 years ago.

In the early days virtually nobody in Australia had heard of baby sign language and most parents assumed it was something for Deaf babies and not something they needed to bother with.

The great thing is that over the last 5 years we have really started to catch up here in Australia and now when I speak to people about baby sign many people ask me “So does your system use Auslan?”

So what is the difference between Auslan and ASL or even using made up signs?  Does it make any difference to you, your baby and the end result?

To answer these questions lets just take a quick step back and see where the idea of baby sign language really stemmed from and how and why it became popular.

So what is Baby Sign Language?

The basic principal behind baby sign language is the use of simple gestures to communicate with pre-verbal babies so that you can understand what it is they want before they can actually talk.

The research and studies into baby sign were mostly done overseas in the United States in the early years when it was noticed that Deaf parents who taught their children sign language were able to communicate with their children prior to them developing the ability to actually speak.

Early adopters of this method of teaching sign to babies were the US and the UK who use ASL (American Sign Language) and BSL (British Sign Language) respectively.

Now its a surprise to many people that sign language is not universal but I have written about this before here in The Evolution of Sign Language.  But, it really should be no surprise to people that the language of the Deaf community varies from country to country just as the language of the Hearing community varies from country to country.

This gives us many variations of sign languages the world over, each one having its own variations of dialect and uniqueness.

Why use AUSLAN?

From my point of view there are many good reasons to use Auslan if you choose to to use baby sign with your child.

1. First and foremost its the established signed language of the Deaf community in this country.  Using Auslan as a communication tool with babies is a great way to promote this wonderful and unique language.
2. Using Auslan shows a respect for the Deaf community of this country.  Coming from Ireland originally I learned ISL (Irish Sign Language).  Living in Australia now for the last 10 years I think it is important to support the Deaf community and realise that they have their own language in this country that we have no right to try and change or overwrite with something different.
3. Consistency throughout the learning environment. If you learn Auslan with your child and they go into childcare or any other environment and they use Auslan then there is more chance that a childcare worker or other carer may be able to interpret their wants and needs through sign.
4. Actually learning a second language.  Auslan is its own beautiful language , made up of many interesting signs and gestures and by starting out with the basics of Auslan through baby sign you are opening yourself up to the possibility of having more open communication skills with a wider group of people.

But these are just some key points that I believe in and these are what drove me to start Baby Hands several years ago.

If you are in a different country to Australia then I would encourage you to find out more about the sign language for that country and try to use the appropriate language for the country you live in.

But how important is it to stick to official Auslan?

I always try to get the point across that using baby sign should be fun

It must not be hard work for you and your baby because if it is then your baby will not enjoy the process of signing if they pick up on the fact that you are stressing because you are trying to remember if you need to cross your left hand over your right or your right hand over your left.

So at some stages because of the practicality of the situation maybe you need to substitute some words in your baby sign for something easier.

One simple example of this is “Milk”  In Auslan this is a two handed sign but if you have a baby in one arm and your trying to get a bottle ready with the other even sparing one hand free might be difficult so modifying this two handed sign into a one handed substitute might be the easiest way to go in this situation.

Also as your baby first starts to sign they will invariably make some mistakes but interpreting your baby’s first signs is all part of the fun of baby sign and just like their speech you can correct them and praise them as they go.

So to wrap up.

Each sign language for each country has its own unique and beautiful origins and even using your own made up gestures can help parents bridge that communication gap if you are consistent with the same made up sign.

But using Auslan helps to introduce a part of the Deaf culture into our own and respect and enjoy what Auslan has to offer across the hearing community as well, while offering our children and you the parent the opportunity to learn a valuable second language.

Auslan allows consistency across the board in Australia.  If you use ASL (American Sign Language) then it is only adding to the confusion that surrounds sign language anyway and the products on the market.

Also if you are using made up signs while this may work well for you and your child what about if they are in another situation where someone does not understand that “baby Jo’s” frantic hand slapping means he needs to go to the toilet.  Many people understand some basic Auslan, especially in the care environment and using it can be so beneficial to help encourage your child’s speech development.

Don’t stress if you or your baby or not getting things 100% correct to start with.  Practice makes perfect and encouraging your child to co-ordinate their signs properly is really easy of you follow the simple steps to signing success.

Encouragement and consistency are the keys  and learning to communicate with simple baby signs using Auslan will be both fun and rewarding for you and your baby.

# Update, you can now watch this episode direct on our blog here.

Several weeks ago I got a call from New Idea TV who wanted to do a feature on Australian Baby Hands and our baby sign language classes.

It’s very exciting, as we shot this a few weeks ago, and it will be going to air this Thursday (20th August) at 3pm on Channel 7.

In this segment you will get to see Lena, our Northern Beaches teacher in action. With mums, dads & babies in attendance, Lena introduces baby sign language through songs, activities, stories and Sammy the signing bear.

You’ll see how much children love the workshop and how they start to use signs during the class.

If you’re curious to know what a baby sign workshop is all about, tune in on Thursday and you’ll get to see how fun and educational a baby sign class can be for you and your baby.

If you would like to attend a class then please visit our teachers page and contact them directly for class details in your area.

Please note if you do live outside the current teacher areas but have a mothers group or other group of friends that you would like to get together to organise a class, please contact your nearest teacher and they may be able to come to you.

If you have any questions that you would like to ask me in person I’m appearing at several bookshops over the next few weeks so come along and say hello if you are in the area.

Happy Signing

Jackie

I am holding some baby sign language events  over the coming weeks in Borders stores in NSW. They are starting this week and if you live nearby and would like to come along, it would be great to see you there.

The events are being held at the following Borders stores:

Borders Hornsby

Date: Thursday August 13^th 2009

Address: Shop 2042-204
Westfield Shopping Centre
236 Pacific Highway
Hornsby, NSW 2077

Time: 11am

Borders Tuggerah

Date: Thursday August 20^th 2009

Address: Shop 2029
Westfield Tuggerah
Cnr Wyong & Gavenlock Roads
Tuggerah, NSW 2259

Time: 11am

Borders Macarthur Square

Date: Thursday September 10^th 2009
(please note this date has changed from the previous date of the 26th August)

Address: Shop L02 L087
Macarthur Square Shopping Centre
Gilchrist Drive
Campbelltown, NSW 2560

Time: 11am

I will be running through your most frequently asked baby sign language questions and demonstrating how to introduce baby sign language into your home.

I hope to see you there.

Happy Signing!

Jackie

So many people think when they hear “Baby sign language”, that this is something which I can use with my pre-verbal baby to assist with communication.  Baby sign language is a tool that can be incorporated into your home and used with both your young pre-verbal baby but also with their older siblings.

Children of all ages love to use their hands to communicate.  This can be seen when children sing “Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes” and they do the actions by pointing at the various body parts.  Lots of nursery rhymes such as “Incy Wincy Spider” allow children to be expressive with their hands while being verbal.  This is why children of all ages LOVE baby sign language.

So what is the benefit of introducing baby sign language to the older brothers and sisters of your pre-verbal baby, who are either partially or fully verbal?  Dr Marilyn Daniels, a professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State University, is an authority of studying the benefits of teaching sign language to children in preschool through to sixth grade. She encourages hearing children to become full participants in language and communication with their family and peers at a young age through the use of sign language.

Children in Dr Daniels studies were found to have benefited from signing in the following ways:
•    Improved their English vocabulary
•    Improved understanding of concepts
•    Number, letter & sound recognition
•    Reading readiness
•    Better spelling ability by teaching children to read using sign language.

Children are quick to pick up sign language and they can be helpful as you begin to introduce it to your pre-verbal baby.  I get many emails from the older brothers and sisters of pre-verbal children who know all 60 signs in the Australian Baby Hands book and are requesting to learn more signs so they can introduce it in their “news” story at school the next week or to their family or siblings.  Some children look on it as their own secret language that not everyone knows but it enables them to speak to their younger pre-verbal siblings.

So not only will baby sign language be fun with all the family involved, it will be beneficial for your baby as more people are signing to them and it will be easier and faster for them to make the connection of what is it you are trying to communicate. It is also a fantastic educational tool for all your children, your baby and their older brothers and sisters, assisting with their language, vocabulary, reading and spelling ability.

Start Sibling signing today!

I’ve been meaning to add this post for a couple of weeks but time just slipped away from me.

As I mentioned in my post blog at the beginning of February Baby Hands On TV where our Pine Rivers Teacher Natalie, was featured in Channel 10′s News Report on Baby Sign and I was due to go on 9am with David & Kim a couple of weeks after.

A lot of people missed the 9am with David & Kim Show but you can watch the segment on the David & Kim website.

I always get really nervous doing these TV shows but David and Kim were really friendly before hand trying to put us at ease and forget about the thousands of people watching live.

Hope you enjoy the segment and and a big thank you to Jennifer for coming on the show with me and bringing her daughter Ursala along

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t get an email from parents telling me stories of how baby sign has made their life easier and created a less frustrated well mannered child.   My Book, DVD, Flashcards & Poster have two signs in common which help parents introduce manners to their children.  So what are these signs that will help you introduce manners to your child?

These signs which are common in all the Australian Baby Hands products and they are “Please” and “Thank You“.

“Please” and “Thank You” are great signs to start introducing the abstract concept of manners to your child.  To introduce these signs, start ending every request by signing and saying the word “please” and once you have carried out the request, sign and say the word “thank you”.

Like all words in baby sign, it will become a habit for your child to use these signs over time.  Consistency is the key.

Below are other examples of where manners can be taught using baby sign language.

Social Situations:  when they meet and greet others, encourage the use of the sign and word “Hello“.  When you are leaving, you can introduce the sign for “Goodbye“. Also introducing the sign for “Sorry” can be beneficial.

Mealtimes:  Signs that can be introduced here are “please”, “thank you”.  Once your baby has begun to combine signs, you can introduce the following combinations “more – please”, “finished – thank you”, “help – please”.

I look forward to hearing your baby sign language story about manners!