About Australian Baby Hands

Australian Baby Hands was developed to introduce Australian parents to the joys and benefits of using Australian Sign Language with their baby, otherwise known as baby sign language. Most resources regarding baby sign language currently available to parents involve using American Sign Language. Australian Baby Hands provides parents with a simple step-by-step guide to baby sign language using Auslan (Australian Sign Language).

My name is Jackie Durnin and I have been involved in sign language since 1995. I grew up in Ireland and I studied Irish Sign Language (ISL) while studying my Degree in Business & Legal Studies at University. After my graduation and 3 years of sign language study, I left for Australia where I am now a resident.

Since being here I have done courses in Australian Sign Language (Auslan) and have always been looking into topics, studies and research in regard to sign language, especially baby sign language. I became shocked to discover that Australian Baby Sign Language resources were few and far between. Months of research and study resulted in the creation of an Australian baby sign language resource entitled Australian Baby Hands.

As part of Australian Baby Hands’ commitment to the use of Australian sign language, we are supporting Deaf Children Australia with a donation from all of our books. Deaf Children Australia has produced a number of Auslan (Australian Sign Language) dictionaries and has reviewed our book to ensure that its content is of a standard acceptable by the Australian deaf community.

Australian Baby Hands has grown from a simple concept into Australia’s largest Baby Sign Language Company with teachers around the country running classes helping pre-verbal babies to communicate with the parents and care workers.