At some point (probably sooner rather than later), your baby is going to attempt a sign that you have taught her, but it will be altered due to her lack of dexterity or because she cannot quite grasp the exact formation. For instance, the ASL sign for EAT is to bring all five fingertips to the lips and tap twice (see Chapter 8). But your child might begin to tap her lips with one finger to tell you that she wants to eat. If you want, you can then adopt the one-finger-tap as your sign for EAT. This modified sign would then become part of your child’s signing vocabulary.

It is worth noting that some babies tend to do more modifying than others. A sign that is particularly difficult for one child to master might be simple for another. As a result, your child’s modified vocabulary might include one sign or ten or a hundred.

Why Encourage Baby to Modify Sign Language?

Baby-modified sign language offers more structure than home signs, as you still use a basic set of signs. At the same time, it provides more flexibility than true ASL, as signs can be adapted for ease of formation. The fact is that some signs are just more difficult than others, and some require a level of dexterity that a baby simply does not yet possess. By encouraging your baby to make modifications, you will reduce her level of frustration, which may come from being unable to form those toughest signs.

There may also be some times for you when it is helpful to do a little modifying of your own. A prime example is with the sign for DIAPER. To form this sign, you make pinching motions with both hands at your waist (as shown in Chapter 8). However, if you use a changing table to change your baby’s diaper, the side of the table will likely obscure her view of your waist. You may then opt to make the same motion at a higher point on your body. Likewise, you may find that two-handed signs are difficult to demonstrate, as one of your hands is typically holding a baby. In that case, you might choose to change the sign by forming it with only one of your hands. If, however, you are finding it necessary to modify many signs, you might want to consider switching to home signs, in which you can create all of the signs yourself.

What’s Wrong with Modified ASL?

With the benefits that come with modifying ASL signs to fit your needs, it seems like a good choice of methods. However, like the other methods that deviate from ASL, modified ASL can cause a few problems. Among a baby’s peers who also use ASL, these altered signs may create a communication gap. Additionally, other people who sign with your baby (such as other family members and caregivers) will have to keep track of which signs have been modified and which have not.

If you choose to continue to use sign language with your child as she gets older, these modified signs will be useless to her. It would be similar to teaching someone Spanish but making up gibberish to replace the occasional word. You might understand this language, but it would be meaningless in Mexico. Instead, you will have to go back and correct all of the signs that your baby has modified or that you have modified yourself. In the end, you may find that it would have been easier to reinforce the correct signs from the beginning.