My opinion on sign language with children is well documented. Bottom line, I view it as communication and communication is good... especially considering the alternatives. So far, The Caterpillar has only used one sign, more, and while we've had a couple of glimpses of the beginnings of words with her, she has yet to use any word or sound purposefully and in any kind of consistent manner.
On the receptive language side, her comprehension is astounding. Last night I told her to pick up her bear, her piggy, put them both in the toy box, go into the bathroom to get ready for a bath, take off her socks, take off her shirt, take off her pants, get in the bathtub and brush her teeth all at different instances and she responded appropriately to each request. (Not that she was able to do all those things by herself, but when I said "It's time to take off your shirt," she pulled up her shirt... you get the idea.) At this point, I'm not worried that she's not developing language (although I am keeping an critical eye trained on that issue), I'm just desperately searching for a way for her to express her needs to me.
In the past week, we've had an explosion of signs. She signs about eight different things right now and it's made life so much better. (Although good luck getting documentation of all eight of them with a child who cops an attitude of "I am not your dog and pony show!" every time you pull out the camera or make a claim to another human being that she can do X.) If she knows the sign, she tells me what she wants and I get it. No tears, no screaming. Done. So this is an intervention I can get behind. Here's a smattering of what I could get on camera before one of the other humans in the house distracting her or walking through the frame.
Banana:
(Please to ignore the fact that she's wearing underwear over her sleeper here. She found them and insisted. I plan to file this video away under B for Blackmail Her On Her Wedding Day.)
Milk:
Again:
Bonus footage: awesome baby laughs.
Orange:
I love this because she hasn't quite figured it out yet and she's actually just signing banana near her mouth. Hey, if it gets her an orange, she doesn't care.
The cutest of all the signs, Please:
I will pretty much give you anything if you're a cute baby and you sign please this way.
Cheese:
If cheese wasn't one of her first signs, I might have to bring her back to the hospital and claim she was switched at birth because THIS IS NOT MY CHILD!
On the receptive language side, her comprehension is astounding. Last night I told her to pick up her bear, her piggy, put them both in the toy box, go into the bathroom to get ready for a bath, take off her socks, take off her shirt, take off her pants, get in the bathtub and brush her teeth all at different instances and she responded appropriately to each request. (Not that she was able to do all those things by herself, but when I said "It's time to take off your shirt," she pulled up her shirt... you get the idea.) At this point, I'm not worried that she's not developing language (although I am keeping an critical eye trained on that issue), I'm just desperately searching for a way for her to express her needs to me.
In the past week, we've had an explosion of signs. She signs about eight different things right now and it's made life so much better. (Although good luck getting documentation of all eight of them with a child who cops an attitude of "I am not your dog and pony show!" every time you pull out the camera or make a claim to another human being that she can do X.) If she knows the sign, she tells me what she wants and I get it. No tears, no screaming. Done. So this is an intervention I can get behind. Here's a smattering of what I could get on camera before one of the other humans in the house distracting her or walking through the frame.
Banana:
(Please to ignore the fact that she's wearing underwear over her sleeper here. She found them and insisted. I plan to file this video away under B for Blackmail Her On Her Wedding Day.)
Milk:
Again:
Bonus footage: awesome baby laughs.
Orange:
I love this because she hasn't quite figured it out yet and she's actually just signing banana near her mouth. Hey, if it gets her an orange, she doesn't care.
The cutest of all the signs, Please:
I will pretty much give you anything if you're a cute baby and you sign please this way.
Cheese:
If cheese wasn't one of her first signs, I might have to bring her back to the hospital and claim she was switched at birth because THIS IS NOT MY CHILD!
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January 15, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Yeah! Now that you can say "more" and "cheese" you know all the expressive vocabulary you will ever need.
January 16, 2009 at 7:56 AM
The underpants over the sleeper made me snort and laugh. Funny, funny kid.
Here's what I predict: one day, out of nowhere, the Caterpillar is going to go from being nonverbal to verbal. There will be no transition. And once she does start talking, there will be no stopping her.
Then again, I don't have kids, so I'm just makin' this stuff up...
January 18, 2009 at 4:51 AM
That is awesome! I had one child who really took to the signing and it was great. The other three have tolerated my attempts to teach them sign, but basically told me they prefer to scream and beat their heads on the floor.
January 18, 2009 at 7:18 AM
@MB: I couldn't agree more. Perhaps this is the reason why the deaf people at my church avoid talking to me.
@DC: As the story goes, that's what happened with both my brother and my husband. Once The Dormouse started talking we kinda wished we'd avoided it for a few more months... you've met her... you know what I'm sayin'
@Beth: I think the only reason she's finally started picking it up is that I also prefer to scream and beat my head on the floor... and I am much more strong willed than her.