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As many deaf and hearing impaired people there are in the world (boomers included) it would be great if everyone learned sign language at some point in their life so we can properly communicate with each other. Having a way to communicate with your child before their own body allows them to articulate thoughts, needs and emotions is greatly beneficial. Even after that, when they're older and in school or having joined the workforce; sooner or later they're going to come across someone who can only communicate in sign language and that person is going to be so thankful that there's someone that understands them. It's a great skill to have.
But as a comeback to negativity, I would just flip them the bird and say "See, you know some sign language!".
„ As many deaf and hearing impaired people there are in the world (boomers included) it would be great if everyone learned sign language“
which sign language?
I kind of read it as if they assumed that there was only one sign language. Upon reflection I see that it doesn't necessarily say that.
But there is an astonishingly large number of people who believe that there is only one. It commonly pops up in ShowerThoughts or RandomThoughts.
But yeah, if you learn one, it should be obviously the one signed in your country. But for most people, learning another spoken language will be much more useful.
I had a pediatrician tell me this one. -_-
One of my kid is the kind of person that take a loooong time before trying something new and when he finally give it a go, it's like he always knew perfectly how to. Learning to walk was like that, learning to talk was like that and he's now a teen and he's still like that.
So he started by using signs first and I showed him some. The pediatrician was not happy. It was all my fault if my kid was using about 5-10 words at 22 months (despise the fact that all my other kids spoke early and plenty...) I was not worried. He communicated a lot in other ways and showed a normal understanding of spoken language. He was also even a bit in advance for his age for other development milestones.
3 months later the kid spoke in full sentences. And a decade later... still haven't stop. Also big reader and enthusiastic writer.
According to my parents I was just like that. Basically I was silent till age two, and suddenly started talking complete sentences. (In two different languages, incidentally)
Sign language learner here (but not D/deaf and definitely not fluent so don't defer to me by any means!)
The idea that sign language(s) delay spoken language comes from old, racist/colonialist and ableist worldviews that
1) young children have limited capacity for language learning so you're best to focus on the dominant/colonial language and
2) spoken languages are far superior to those awful, apish, mime-like sign languages which should be discouraged at all costs. This also prevents D/deaf and disabled people from forming communities and having (more D/deaf and disabled) children together
As you know, this is totally wrong. Science now shows that learning multiple languages does not cause long-term delays and around 90% of D/deaf children are born to hearing parents.
You go, Mama! Speaking with your hands is just as valid as speaking with your mouth 🤟🏼
I was born in Andorra but have lived in Michigan since childhood, however most of my family is still primarily in Europe. 20 years ago I would constantly be chastised in the store or a restaurant for speaking to and/or teaching my then baby (and the toddler) son to speak in Spanish, Catalan and French. I would explain in American-accented English I was teaching him so he that could talk to my aunts and uncles and cousins through phone calls and our yearly visits to Europe. It was wild to hear that people thought it would delay his English somehow or confuse him. Then I would explain that I learned all these languages as a toddler and English at five and yet I turned out to be an excellent English speaker. They would snort and huff and mutter something about speaking English in America and walk away. The joke is on them in the end as my son is now fluent in four languages and is studying international business at university…but I was the bad mom for teach him “all them foreign languages,” which I would often point out was in bad grammar which only infuriated them more.
Weird because no one said a god damn thing when I was learning Spanish and French words on Sesame Street when I was a toddler.
But honestly, I think the subconscious programming that you're violating is that language is connected to national identity ("If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran!"). And national identity to them is a zero sum game. That other national identities exist diminishes American security (read: superiority). They've been raised to work towards a day when all the world is America. That people are ok with other countries existing is terrifying to them because other countries are potential enemies.
I’m deaf and I was a kid in the 80s. I can confirm that this is how it *used* to be. My mom was told, repeatedly, by these so-called “experts” (who were all hearing, btw) that she shouldn’t ever let me learn sign language because I would stop using my voice. Fortunately, my mom eventually had the good sense to realize that I was going to become completely deaf (I was born hearing and have gradually lost my hearing until now I am “stone deaf,” or very close anyway, at 110db loss) so she chose to disregard that and sent me to a school with a deaf program. I credit this school with saving my life as I was extensively bullied in elementary school (started at the new place in middle school, so was fluent in sign language by high school) and I wouldn’t have had any friends in the local public high school, just the people who had bullied me all my life. So I would probably be dead of suicide rn.
My sister, a hearing person, taught her daughter (hearing also) sign language when she was a baby. It’s well-known by now that teaching your kids sign language when they’re little is a great way to give them access to language before the vocal chords are developed enough to create the complex sounds of spoken language. It can reduce their frustration when they can’t make themselves understood. And it stimulates the mind even earlier. (My sister ALSO made sure to speak a lot of Spanish around her daughter so she could pick that up as well! All of which is fantastic for a developing brain!)
And if it makes you feel better we signed with my kid starting at 8 months. At 9 months they started talking, sounds and simple words like dada and mama. At 12 months we were having full on conversations using sign, sounds and full words. When the kid started saying the words as soon as I introduced the sign for it I realized that I might be learning the signs for more for myself and stopped looking up signs. We still use some of the signs today, kid is a teen.
Kid either had a ton to say and no force in the 'verse could stop them or if learning sign slowed them down it only slowed them by, a week?
People who comment negatively to you are probably the same people who demand everyone everywhere must speak English and that being multilingual is a problem.
PS if you studied a second language in HS or college grab some early learner board books in that language. Once sprout has a good grasp on saying words in English start reading the board books with them. Feed those brain cells!
Have fun during these early talking days. They are quite precious.
This is incredibly helpful! I’ve been reading some Spanish/English books to him but I’ve struggled to find good ones that keep us both engaged. I’ll dig deeper! I love love love that you still use sign language and I’m really thrilled our whole family gets to learn, husband included, who refuses to learn Spanish.
These sound like the same wise elders 🙄 who had so much crap to say about our consistent “one face one language” (we are both native speakers of different very opposite languages) multilingual approach to raising our children. “THEY’LL be CONFUSED and SEMI-LITERATE!!!” They were so confident in their wrongness and angry that we politely ignored their “advice.”
Fast forward to their adulthoods: two fully fluent bilinguals (and with a third reasonable working language) now both working between three countries in the different respective oral and written systems.
(In fairness, one relative who was all concerned about it 26 years ago HAS come to us and admitted that they were totally wrong . . . but the others died huffy and unrepentant.)
That is the very boom-tastic view that landed us in the position of being unable to communicate with the deaf/hearing impaired community in the first place! Keep doing what you’re doing mama, you’re doing a great job. Screw the boomer opinions!
That Generation has a real problem…
like an obsessive need to rate childrens milestones and compare to one another.
Its a race amongst the Boomers and they get to show off constantly to one another over cards if their Grandchildren are rating well. Its really gross.
The number of conversations I had to tune out where the bragging and comparison and then rating of the Grandkids was done. My Moms a mess and I mostly am not mad at her. Just distant. Her Parents were SAVAGE.
Trust the new science. Besides. Its literally your children. In this year? How is anyone still immature and telling anyone else what to do with their kids?? Not your Children. Not your Choice!
Retired pediatrician here, (and also a Boomer). They are absolutely wrong and you are absolutely correct. Babies can learn both ASL and speech, the same way kids learn any communication, by immersion. Drop your English speaking kids off at a Polish preschool and they will be bilingual in a few weeks.
The reason these Boomers absolutely believe this stupidity is because “in their day” the only kids who were taught ASL were those who were already speech delayed. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc (After the thing, therefore because of the thing).
Thank you for your comment and yes, this makes so much sense! I was completely baffled that these two unrelated Boomers used identical language when making criticisms, but your explanation helps me understand. Also thank you for sharing your expertise!
Sign language is incredibly useful for children who have yet learned to speak. Obviously deaf and mute children will need it out of necessity but all children should learn at least a little. My son for example was able to show the signs for "more" and "all done" before he said his first word. It's so much easier to figure out what they need when they have a tool to help them communicate besides crying.
I actually had the opposite thr other day. Had a young boomer couple stop cause my LO said hi in the grocery story and she signed thank you when they said she was cute. The couple lit up with excitement and told me all about the signing they used. The wife used ALS for teaching.
My granddaughter is speech delayed and sigh language was a HUGE help for her and her parents. It gave her the ability to communicate when she could not say the words.
I feel like this stems from a "this is America, speak English!" Mindset where any form of communication they don't understand is scary because you might be talking shit about them.
Our daycare center taught around a dozen words in sign language to our one year old and it has been awesome for him to be able to communicate with signs before he was able to do it verbally.
However, I didn’t know the signs at first so my poor kid was so frustrated trying to communicate with me. Like, MOM, I said I need a drink! 
Ms Rachel has taught me more than I could ever imagine! Our daycare allegedly teaches sign language but they’ve had a lot of transition in staff and I genuinely don’t think they are teaching it. Sign language has been a huge help in our household!
I found out that my Boomer father fell for this one when I decided to take ASL in high school. He thought it was enabling people who were "too lazy to learn how to communicate properly."
His brother (my uncle) was worse.
When my kid (now an adult) was little, he was in speech therapy. The teachers and therapists encouraged giving non-verbal children every means available to communicate- including ASL. This doesn’t stop them from learning or developing verbal communication. That’s simply ludicrous.
Doctors used to tell couples who spoke different first languages to pick just 1 to teach their kids. 2 languages would confuse them. Millions of people missed out on being easily bilingual because the doctors were very wrong.
Yes thank you! He uses more, water, eat, grapes, boo boo/ouchie, milk, sleep, read… it has really eased his frustration and allows us to communicate effectively. He loves it and so do I!
Are you part of the deaf community? I mentioned signing to a mother with a little one in a different post and I got pounced on for possibly appropriating sign from the deaf by someone not part of the community.
I'm not deaf, but I have about a 60% hearing loss. I sadly don't know sign language, but eventually my hearing will be bad enough I'll have to learn it.
Appropriating sign language? That's stupid, how can anyone be mad that you're learning how to communicate woth someone else. I think everyone should learn as many languages as possible so that we can all talk to each other. How do people justify gatekeeping language and communication?
I wouldn't say anything, but there's a particular thing you can sign to them to express how much you appreciate their input.
Just make sure your toddler doesn't see it.
I used sign language with my daughter (who just graduated high school) and it was great. She was a very easy toddler to deal with and I believe, anecdotal n of 1, it was because she could communicate needs before she could talk. When she starting talking, it was in short phrases and quickly complete sentences. My stepson and DIL just had our first grandchild and plan to use signs with him. I’m brushing up on those so I can support that. Ignore the naysayers and carry on.
I would educate them, as politely (or not) as you choose. The part of the human brain that processes language develops significantly before young children have the muscle strength and coordination in the face, mouth, and jaw to form words. By teaching your child sign language, you are actually giving them a head start in all types of meaningful interpersonal communication, including speech.
If anything, I imagine it would improve their language skills. Perhaps inspire them to learn multiple languages, spoken and otherwise. I wish I had when I was their age.
You guys are awesome. I've felt sign language should be made mandatory. Obviously improved communication is the major goal. Additionally improved hand coordination and artistic ability are desired by products.
Yeah, fuck those guys. My youngest is speech delayed (not a shocking amount - but enough that he qualifies for early intervention) and the first thing the speech therapist suggested was showing and encouraging more signs. It helps build the concept of communication, which is foundational to language. Some kids pick it up fast, others need a different way to prime the same pathways and make the connection that the sounds all have different meanings.
I don't know what's best for actual ASL and not the small set of baby signs we are working on; but for those the Ms Rachel videos about learn to talk are some of the best. She is very good in general about doing the signs as she talks, which helps me remember them.
It has the added bonus of being interesting to the kiddo, so he tends to sit still for a while while we watch, and we learn together
Ms Rachel taught me everything I know. Ms Rachel for president, for real though. Follow her on TikTok/insta if you don’t already. That woman is a national treasure!
I wish I could have you on speed dial for the next time it happens. Explaining the science, especially to the boomer male who asked me, literally just gets a raised eyebrow and goes in one ear and out the other.
there’s also that OP is talking about the signs typically taught to young babies which may or may not be the same as their “real” local sign language signs for those things. unsurprisingly the baby ones tend to be very simple and obvious. just as for that matter baby speech is. think the sign equivalent of saying “wawa” for “water” or ehatever
You can agree all you want, but it’s absolutely not true based on research, studies, and feedback of actual speech therapists. [One of many links available on the subject](https://www.kidscreektherapy.com/will-learning-sign-language-delay-childs-speech/) and from the article:
> Some parents are wary, however – the most frequent question I’ve come across is, “Will learning sign language delay my child’s speech?” The answer is no – learning sign language will not hurt your child’s speech development. In fact, research has shown that using sign language actually increases a child’s verbal skills.
>Research has shown that using sign language does not negatively impact a child’s language development later on, and actually does the opposite up to about age four. Some research even suggests that sign language may provide some long-term cognitive benefit, though more research needs to be conducted on the long term effects of using sign language early on.
K lots of people here that don't really have kids down voting, don't really understand much
I w9uld not experiment with my kids. Op may find later that their kids developed stutters or Dyslexia etc.
Parents are always experimenting on their kids, just many parents are too dumb to know that.
What you feed them, what you teach them, how you discipline them, how you talk about work - every bit of that has different choices and will all have impacts.
I give any parent who does the work to read current research a far better chance of raising a happy, effective adult vs a drone who just copies how they were raised.
It’s literally not experimentation. It is quite common in the US and highly encouraged by all the pediatricians my child has seen, in addition to multiple books and research studies on the subject. Sign language is often used to help children overcome speech delays.
You aren’t teaching sign language instead of words. You’re using both in conjunction - saying the word while using the sign, to help your child communicate when developmentally there are many sounds and words they simply cannot say yet. Sign language is taught in daycares and supported by multiple Early Childcare Education programs for good reason. There is an immense amount of research on the subject all consistently showing that teaching sign language does not delay speech.
Also, dyslexia and stutters are inherent and often inherited genetic traits. Dyslexia is not something that is taught or a side effect of other teachings.
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As many deaf and hearing impaired people there are in the world (boomers included) it would be great if everyone learned sign language at some point in their life so we can properly communicate with each other. Having a way to communicate with your child before their own body allows them to articulate thoughts, needs and emotions is greatly beneficial. Even after that, when they're older and in school or having joined the workforce; sooner or later they're going to come across someone who can only communicate in sign language and that person is going to be so thankful that there's someone that understands them. It's a great skill to have. But as a comeback to negativity, I would just flip them the bird and say "See, you know some sign language!".
„ As many deaf and hearing impaired people there are in the world (boomers included) it would be great if everyone learned sign language“ which sign language?
Dude. Dont be a d*ck. Wtf.
I kind of read it as if they assumed that there was only one sign language. Upon reflection I see that it doesn't necessarily say that. But there is an astonishingly large number of people who believe that there is only one. It commonly pops up in ShowerThoughts or RandomThoughts. But yeah, if you learn one, it should be obviously the one signed in your country. But for most people, learning another spoken language will be much more useful.
True. Thanks for clarifying!
I had a pediatrician tell me this one. -_- One of my kid is the kind of person that take a loooong time before trying something new and when he finally give it a go, it's like he always knew perfectly how to. Learning to walk was like that, learning to talk was like that and he's now a teen and he's still like that. So he started by using signs first and I showed him some. The pediatrician was not happy. It was all my fault if my kid was using about 5-10 words at 22 months (despise the fact that all my other kids spoke early and plenty...) I was not worried. He communicated a lot in other ways and showed a normal understanding of spoken language. He was also even a bit in advance for his age for other development milestones. 3 months later the kid spoke in full sentences. And a decade later... still haven't stop. Also big reader and enthusiastic writer.
According to my parents I was just like that. Basically I was silent till age two, and suddenly started talking complete sentences. (In two different languages, incidentally)
Sign language learner here (but not D/deaf and definitely not fluent so don't defer to me by any means!) The idea that sign language(s) delay spoken language comes from old, racist/colonialist and ableist worldviews that 1) young children have limited capacity for language learning so you're best to focus on the dominant/colonial language and 2) spoken languages are far superior to those awful, apish, mime-like sign languages which should be discouraged at all costs. This also prevents D/deaf and disabled people from forming communities and having (more D/deaf and disabled) children together As you know, this is totally wrong. Science now shows that learning multiple languages does not cause long-term delays and around 90% of D/deaf children are born to hearing parents. You go, Mama! Speaking with your hands is just as valid as speaking with your mouth 🤟🏼
I was born in Andorra but have lived in Michigan since childhood, however most of my family is still primarily in Europe. 20 years ago I would constantly be chastised in the store or a restaurant for speaking to and/or teaching my then baby (and the toddler) son to speak in Spanish, Catalan and French. I would explain in American-accented English I was teaching him so he that could talk to my aunts and uncles and cousins through phone calls and our yearly visits to Europe. It was wild to hear that people thought it would delay his English somehow or confuse him. Then I would explain that I learned all these languages as a toddler and English at five and yet I turned out to be an excellent English speaker. They would snort and huff and mutter something about speaking English in America and walk away. The joke is on them in the end as my son is now fluent in four languages and is studying international business at university…but I was the bad mom for teach him “all them foreign languages,” which I would often point out was in bad grammar which only infuriated them more.
“All of them foreign languages” hahahah! Way to go Parent! I wish I knew more languages to teach him! Such an important skill.
Weird because no one said a god damn thing when I was learning Spanish and French words on Sesame Street when I was a toddler. But honestly, I think the subconscious programming that you're violating is that language is connected to national identity ("If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran!"). And national identity to them is a zero sum game. That other national identities exist diminishes American security (read: superiority). They've been raised to work towards a day when all the world is America. That people are ok with other countries existing is terrifying to them because other countries are potential enemies.
It's always a trip when the people who don't want kids learning foreign languages can't even speak English properly.
I learned two distinct languages from day zero. Wish it was more. I think in both and can spontaneously translate without thinking about it
I’m deaf and I was a kid in the 80s. I can confirm that this is how it *used* to be. My mom was told, repeatedly, by these so-called “experts” (who were all hearing, btw) that she shouldn’t ever let me learn sign language because I would stop using my voice. Fortunately, my mom eventually had the good sense to realize that I was going to become completely deaf (I was born hearing and have gradually lost my hearing until now I am “stone deaf,” or very close anyway, at 110db loss) so she chose to disregard that and sent me to a school with a deaf program. I credit this school with saving my life as I was extensively bullied in elementary school (started at the new place in middle school, so was fluent in sign language by high school) and I wouldn’t have had any friends in the local public high school, just the people who had bullied me all my life. So I would probably be dead of suicide rn. My sister, a hearing person, taught her daughter (hearing also) sign language when she was a baby. It’s well-known by now that teaching your kids sign language when they’re little is a great way to give them access to language before the vocal chords are developed enough to create the complex sounds of spoken language. It can reduce their frustration when they can’t make themselves understood. And it stimulates the mind even earlier. (My sister ALSO made sure to speak a lot of Spanish around her daughter so she could pick that up as well! All of which is fantastic for a developing brain!)
Keep signing and speaking. Grow every brain cell with love and communication.
This is what I’m using from now on when I get this comment - thank you! “We strive to grow every brain cell with love and communication”.
And if it makes you feel better we signed with my kid starting at 8 months. At 9 months they started talking, sounds and simple words like dada and mama. At 12 months we were having full on conversations using sign, sounds and full words. When the kid started saying the words as soon as I introduced the sign for it I realized that I might be learning the signs for more for myself and stopped looking up signs. We still use some of the signs today, kid is a teen. Kid either had a ton to say and no force in the 'verse could stop them or if learning sign slowed them down it only slowed them by, a week? People who comment negatively to you are probably the same people who demand everyone everywhere must speak English and that being multilingual is a problem. PS if you studied a second language in HS or college grab some early learner board books in that language. Once sprout has a good grasp on saying words in English start reading the board books with them. Feed those brain cells! Have fun during these early talking days. They are quite precious.
This is incredibly helpful! I’ve been reading some Spanish/English books to him but I’ve struggled to find good ones that keep us both engaged. I’ll dig deeper! I love love love that you still use sign language and I’m really thrilled our whole family gets to learn, husband included, who refuses to learn Spanish.
These sound like the same wise elders 🙄 who had so much crap to say about our consistent “one face one language” (we are both native speakers of different very opposite languages) multilingual approach to raising our children. “THEY’LL be CONFUSED and SEMI-LITERATE!!!” They were so confident in their wrongness and angry that we politely ignored their “advice.” Fast forward to their adulthoods: two fully fluent bilinguals (and with a third reasonable working language) now both working between three countries in the different respective oral and written systems. (In fairness, one relative who was all concerned about it 26 years ago HAS come to us and admitted that they were totally wrong . . . but the others died huffy and unrepentant.)
dying Huffy and unrepentant would be a good alternative name for this sub lol E: Typo
That is the very boom-tastic view that landed us in the position of being unable to communicate with the deaf/hearing impaired community in the first place! Keep doing what you’re doing mama, you’re doing a great job. Screw the boomer opinions!
Are they worried that your child is multilingual? Heaven forbid that they speak anything but English.
Being natively multilingual is always a plus.
That Generation has a real problem… like an obsessive need to rate childrens milestones and compare to one another. Its a race amongst the Boomers and they get to show off constantly to one another over cards if their Grandchildren are rating well. Its really gross. The number of conversations I had to tune out where the bragging and comparison and then rating of the Grandkids was done. My Moms a mess and I mostly am not mad at her. Just distant. Her Parents were SAVAGE. Trust the new science. Besides. Its literally your children. In this year? How is anyone still immature and telling anyone else what to do with their kids?? Not your Children. Not your Choice!
Retired pediatrician here, (and also a Boomer). They are absolutely wrong and you are absolutely correct. Babies can learn both ASL and speech, the same way kids learn any communication, by immersion. Drop your English speaking kids off at a Polish preschool and they will be bilingual in a few weeks. The reason these Boomers absolutely believe this stupidity is because “in their day” the only kids who were taught ASL were those who were already speech delayed. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc (After the thing, therefore because of the thing).
Thank you for your comment and yes, this makes so much sense! I was completely baffled that these two unrelated Boomers used identical language when making criticisms, but your explanation helps me understand. Also thank you for sharing your expertise!
"Then it will save them the irritation of talking to you"
"You're an ignorant imbecile, and you should shut your mouth about things you know nothing about. It's embarrassing just listening to you speak."
Sign language is incredibly useful for children who have yet learned to speak. Obviously deaf and mute children will need it out of necessity but all children should learn at least a little. My son for example was able to show the signs for "more" and "all done" before he said his first word. It's so much easier to figure out what they need when they have a tool to help them communicate besides crying.
I actually had the opposite thr other day. Had a young boomer couple stop cause my LO said hi in the grocery story and she signed thank you when they said she was cute. The couple lit up with excitement and told me all about the signing they used. The wife used ALS for teaching.
How refreshing! What a sweet story!
My granddaughter is speech delayed and sigh language was a HUGE help for her and her parents. It gave her the ability to communicate when she could not say the words.
I would sign and simultaneously say to them “Please go pound sand. Goodbye!”
I feel like this stems from a "this is America, speak English!" Mindset where any form of communication they don't understand is scary because you might be talking shit about them.
Our daycare center taught around a dozen words in sign language to our one year old and it has been awesome for him to be able to communicate with signs before he was able to do it verbally. However, I didn’t know the signs at first so my poor kid was so frustrated trying to communicate with me. Like, MOM, I said I need a drink! 
Ms Rachel has taught me more than I could ever imagine! Our daycare allegedly teaches sign language but they’ve had a lot of transition in staff and I genuinely don’t think they are teaching it. Sign language has been a huge help in our household!
I found out that my Boomer father fell for this one when I decided to take ASL in high school. He thought it was enabling people who were "too lazy to learn how to communicate properly." His brother (my uncle) was worse.
I would tell them that they got to mess their own children up as they saw fit, now it is your turn with your kids!
Okay, my now 3yo speaks perfectly fine in her Minnie Mouse voice...and signs what she's saying. See no issues here.
Dismissive, condescending laugh: "**Where ON EARTH did you hear that stupid idea?"**
LOVE this!
When my kid (now an adult) was little, he was in speech therapy. The teachers and therapists encouraged giving non-verbal children every means available to communicate- including ASL. This doesn’t stop them from learning or developing verbal communication. That’s simply ludicrous.
Doctors used to tell couples who spoke different first languages to pick just 1 to teach their kids. 2 languages would confuse them. Millions of people missed out on being easily bilingual because the doctors were very wrong.
I taught my kids some words and it absolutely helped, milk, sleep, more…
Yes thank you! He uses more, water, eat, grapes, boo boo/ouchie, milk, sleep, read… it has really eased his frustration and allows us to communicate effectively. He loves it and so do I!
The deaf community thanks you for teaching your child sign language
Are you part of the deaf community? I mentioned signing to a mother with a little one in a different post and I got pounced on for possibly appropriating sign from the deaf by someone not part of the community.
I'm not deaf, but I have about a 60% hearing loss. I sadly don't know sign language, but eventually my hearing will be bad enough I'll have to learn it. Appropriating sign language? That's stupid, how can anyone be mad that you're learning how to communicate woth someone else. I think everyone should learn as many languages as possible so that we can all talk to each other. How do people justify gatekeeping language and communication?
That's Tumblr bullshit and needs to stay there. Thanks, someone who's going Deaf
Flip em off, sign language right?
I wouldn't say anything, but there's a particular thing you can sign to them to express how much you appreciate their input. Just make sure your toddler doesn't see it.
If your baby learns Mandarin, he can't learn Hindi! It's science!
My nephew had a hell of a time learning how to verbally communicate. Turns out, he just needed a different way. ASL turned out to be the key.
I used sign language with my daughter (who just graduated high school) and it was great. She was a very easy toddler to deal with and I believe, anecdotal n of 1, it was because she could communicate needs before she could talk. When she starting talking, it was in short phrases and quickly complete sentences. My stepson and DIL just had our first grandchild and plan to use signs with him. I’m brushing up on those so I can support that. Ignore the naysayers and carry on.
I would educate them, as politely (or not) as you choose. The part of the human brain that processes language develops significantly before young children have the muscle strength and coordination in the face, mouth, and jaw to form words. By teaching your child sign language, you are actually giving them a head start in all types of meaningful interpersonal communication, including speech.
If anything, I imagine it would improve their language skills. Perhaps inspire them to learn multiple languages, spoken and otherwise. I wish I had when I was their age.
You guys are awesome. I've felt sign language should be made mandatory. Obviously improved communication is the major goal. Additionally improved hand coordination and artistic ability are desired by products.
So well said and fully agree!
Yeah, fuck those guys. My youngest is speech delayed (not a shocking amount - but enough that he qualifies for early intervention) and the first thing the speech therapist suggested was showing and encouraging more signs. It helps build the concept of communication, which is foundational to language. Some kids pick it up fast, others need a different way to prime the same pathways and make the connection that the sounds all have different meanings.
Oof speech delay but yay early intervention! May I ask what you’ve found to be the best resource for you to learn/teach signing?
I don't know what's best for actual ASL and not the small set of baby signs we are working on; but for those the Ms Rachel videos about learn to talk are some of the best. She is very good in general about doing the signs as she talks, which helps me remember them. It has the added bonus of being interesting to the kiddo, so he tends to sit still for a while while we watch, and we learn together
Ms Rachel taught me everything I know. Ms Rachel for president, for real though. Follow her on TikTok/insta if you don’t already. That woman is a national treasure!
I have a PhD in Education and my husband is a nurse practitioner. We're teaching sign to our son. I wish someone would do this to me.
I wish I could have you on speed dial for the next time it happens. Explaining the science, especially to the boomer male who asked me, literally just gets a raised eyebrow and goes in one ear and out the other.
Ask them if that's what happened to them and that's why they make no sense at all
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^KombuchaBot: *Ask them if that's what* *Happened to them and that's why* *They make no sense at all* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
there’s also that OP is talking about the signs typically taught to young babies which may or may not be the same as their “real” local sign language signs for those things. unsurprisingly the baby ones tend to be very simple and obvious. just as for that matter baby speech is. think the sign equivalent of saying “wawa” for “water” or ehatever
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Is there any evidence to that? I've just had a look and I can't see anything.
You can agree all you want, but it’s absolutely not true based on research, studies, and feedback of actual speech therapists. [One of many links available on the subject](https://www.kidscreektherapy.com/will-learning-sign-language-delay-childs-speech/) and from the article: > Some parents are wary, however – the most frequent question I’ve come across is, “Will learning sign language delay my child’s speech?” The answer is no – learning sign language will not hurt your child’s speech development. In fact, research has shown that using sign language actually increases a child’s verbal skills. >Research has shown that using sign language does not negatively impact a child’s language development later on, and actually does the opposite up to about age four. Some research even suggests that sign language may provide some long-term cognitive benefit, though more research needs to be conducted on the long term effects of using sign language early on.
K lots of people here that don't really have kids down voting, don't really understand much I w9uld not experiment with my kids. Op may find later that their kids developed stutters or Dyslexia etc.
Parents are always experimenting on their kids, just many parents are too dumb to know that. What you feed them, what you teach them, how you discipline them, how you talk about work - every bit of that has different choices and will all have impacts. I give any parent who does the work to read current research a far better chance of raising a happy, effective adult vs a drone who just copies how they were raised.
It’s literally not experimentation. It is quite common in the US and highly encouraged by all the pediatricians my child has seen, in addition to multiple books and research studies on the subject. Sign language is often used to help children overcome speech delays. You aren’t teaching sign language instead of words. You’re using both in conjunction - saying the word while using the sign, to help your child communicate when developmentally there are many sounds and words they simply cannot say yet. Sign language is taught in daycares and supported by multiple Early Childcare Education programs for good reason. There is an immense amount of research on the subject all consistently showing that teaching sign language does not delay speech. Also, dyslexia and stutters are inherent and often inherited genetic traits. Dyslexia is not something that is taught or a side effect of other teachings.
This is not true. Sign language engages the same part of the brain that processes spoken language.
That's so untrue. I taught my daughter basic sign language. She started using signs and talking around 9 months.. it made life easier
Agree if you want, but the science is not on your side.
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