Is Baby Really Signing?
After you have begun to sign with your baby, you may find that she is making new and unusual gestures that you never noticed before. They don’t quite look like the signs you have used with her, though you must admit there may be a slight resemblance. You begin to experience the first stirrings of hope and you think that maybe, just maybe, your baby is signing.
Just a Coincidence?As the parent of a baby, you have likely witnessed your child as she tries out her new body, checking to see what it can do. Younger infants, especially, will sometimes test their range of motion by stretching, wiggling, and flexing their limbs. It is for that reason that you may have trouble believing that your child is actually signing. You may worry that you will interpret her spontaneous movements as a deliberate sign.
The good news is that your baby probably is signing. At the very least, she is likely trying to imitate the gestures she has watched you make, even if she has yet to comprehend their meanings.
It is better to give her the benefit of the doubt and react as if you are sure she is deliberately communicating with you. Acknowledge the sign, and then give her what you think she may be asking for. If she is signing, then you will be showing her that signing is a form of communication. If she is not signing, she may still associate the gestures with getting something she wants. This will take her one step closer to actually signing. And if it turns out that she didn’t want the object you thought she was asking for, she will undoubtedly let you know it!
E-ALERT
Be on the lookout for vague movements that resemble a sign. For example, the sign for EAT requires that you bring the tips of your fingers up to your lips and tap twice. Initially, though, your baby might simply bring her entire hand to her mouth. Even without the finger movements, she is still signing.
Because your baby’s first signs are likely quite different than their true American Sign Language (ASL) counterparts, you will have to decide if you will encourage the true sign or your baby’s version. If you are encouraging modified signs, then you can choose to adopt your baby’s adaptation of the sign as the one you will continue to use. Simply begin modeling her version of the sign each time you make it. If you want to adhere to actual ASL signs, however, then continue to model the ASL sign, while still acknowledging and responding to her sign. With enough repetition, your baby’s signs will become more and more accurate. They may never be done with the accuracy of an adult, but they will get better and easier to understand.
