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Sign language bridges communication gap for kids |
| One of the greatest frustrations for parents is trying to figure out what their wailing infant or toddler is trying to tell them. And if they could talk, the tots probably would tell you about their frustrations in trying to get their parents to understand. Now, research shows that the communication barrier can be bridged through the use of sign language. Like hearing-impaired parents and children, hearing parents and their little ones across the country are using gestures and signals to communicate, and the lessons now are being learned in the Fox Valley. Kristine Alarie, American Sign Language expert and educational interpreter for the deaf, is teaching parents the gesture-driven language in classes offered at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center of Oshkosh. A session also is planned for Appleton Art Center. “Sign language is a gift from the deaf culture,” Alarie said. “It’s all about communication and it’s a window into the baby’s mind.” Burton L. White, author of the book “The First Three Years of Life,” told CBS’s “Early Show” that babies can use sign language long before their brains are developed enough to use spoken language. Being able to communicate isn’t the only benefit to teaching sign language to infants. Follow-up research shows that tots who sign have higher vocabulary rates, higher literacy rates and even higher IQ scores. Still, Alarie said, the greatest thing about using sign language is that it provides a way for infants and parents to communicate long before words are an option. “I got into this at first for the wrong reasons,” Alarie said. “I heard about the vocabulary rates, the literacy rates, the IQ scores. That was pretty fascinating. But then I got into it and realized it’s really about communication and seeing into a little guy’s mind. These kids really are communicating.” Sean and Julie Duffy of Black Creek taught basic signs to their infants simply as a means of communication. “To me, who cares about the research or if it makes her smarter,” Julie said. “It works.” Among the signs the Duffys used with Olivia, 5, and Katie, 2, were “please,” “hungry,” “help,” “sorry” and “thank you.” “It can be used anywhere, and it’s been awesome in terms of getting rid of the whining,” Julie said. “It gave them a way to communicate with us so they weren’t so frustrated.” Baby sign language classes are recommended for parents of infants ages 5 to 15 months, but signing can be taught to older toddlers as well. Starting simple and making signing a part of everyday life are keys to successful communication. The first three signs should be those for “milk” (or nursing), “more” and “eat,” Alarie said. “I always tell parents that if it’s not fun, don’t do it. It’s just a matter of incorporating it into your everyday life, and the more consistent it is, the faster they’ll learn,” Alarie said. The idea that infants are capable of learning and using sign language is the result of research by Joseph Garcia, an interpreter for the deaf at the University of Alaska. Garcia’s findings were that infants are able to use sign language 6 to 12 months before they are able to talk. Alarie knows of babies less than a year old who use 60 to 90 signs to communicate their needs. “When parents come in with their babies who are 6 or 7 months, they’re just looking for simple communication. When they come in a little later, say at 2 years of age, it’s more for the frustration thing,” Alarie said. “They want their kids to know ‘stop,’ ‘share’ or the sign for ‘pain.’” Sign language comes so naturally to babies because it is an iconic language, meaning that the gesture mimics the word. The sign for eat, for example, is a tapping of fingertips toward the mouth. It’s a means that babies tend to use anyway in gestures such as those for “bye-bye” and “blowing” kisses. “They’re gesturing anyway, so let’s give them a real language,” Alarie said. An important part of the process is for parents to understand that it’s OK if babies don’t do a sign exactly as it should be. “They can do their modification of the sign and as long as you know what it is, that’s OK,” Julie said. Favorite among children is learning to sign nursery rhymes or favorite books. Among those used by Alarie in her classes are the ditty “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear.” In a recent class at St. Elizabeth, infants sat riveted as Alarie signed to a tune called “Please Change My Diaper” and a song about going to the zoo. “Babies have to learn in context, where they can connect the sign with their world,” Alarie said. “Once they learn it, kids will just sit down and sign a book or song by themselves.” A USA Weekend article published in 1999 cites Linda Acredolo, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, who said that using signs as a means of communication literally builds connections in kids’ brains. Memphis speech pathologist Meredith Layton notes in the same article that once babies make the connection that doing a gesture gets them what they want, the language really takes off for them. Alarie teaches the language in area day care centers and kindergarten classrooms, where teachers and providers tout the benefits of lower noise levels because children are not screaming in frustration. A teacher and student can use the sign for “toilet” more discreetly than the child can ask permission verbally. Alarie also has heard from the mother of a 2-year-old who has a tracheotomy and is somewhat developmentally delayed, and from a woman who visits stroke victims with speech impairment and is looking for a way to communicate with them. The basics of American Sign Language will be ideal in both situations, Alarie said. |