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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

can baby sign language delay speech?

13 replies

ikeaismylocal · 10/02/2014 18:17

I have a 14 month old ds, we live in Sweden but I speak English to him.

He has some words, pappa, mamma, wow, woof-woof and a few others. We have started using some signs with him as he seems to be wanting to commute more and more.

He understands instructions such as can you put the teddy on the table and he responds by pointing if you ask him questions such as where is the dog? He seems to understand both languages equally.

He can sign all gone, more, finished, boobie and a couple of other signs, when he signs he doesn't tend to try to say the word at the same time.

Today he signed more boobie, I'm really pleased for him that he can communicate but I'm also worried that if we teach him signs he will not push himself to communicate verbally in either English or Swedish.

Does anyone have any advice/experiencethey can share?

OP posts:

kelda · 10/02/2014 18:19

I don't think so. Everything that I've read is that signing can stimulate communication, and the movements of the signs themselves can stimulate speech.

It sounds like your ds is doing very well.

Ilikesweetpeas · 10/02/2014 18:21

In my experience it aids speech because it promotes communication between your child and yourself. I think that for 14 months your ds sounds like is is doing great! My dd signed a lot, and was speaking fluently by 2 years, again this is only my experience but I would keep signing and speaking!

Geneticsbunny · 10/02/2014 18:23

Yep I agree with keida. Signing should encourage speech development not hinder it. At 14 months and bilingual I would think only having a few words is probably very normal or even advanced.in the uk children are supposed to have a minimum of around 20 words a age 2 so your DS is already at least half way there and he is trying to learn 2 languages!

kelda · 10/02/2014 18:24

My ds has a severe speech disorder, and we actually use special signs to stimulate correct speech production - and it works.

He is also bilingual, despite his speech problem

hazeyjane · 10/02/2014 18:30

As long as you speak when you sign, it will help not hinder.

Paintyfingers · 10/02/2014 19:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

ikeaismylocal · 10/02/2014 19:07

Thank you for the advice :)

It's good to know they only "need" to know 20 words by 2, apparently dp spoke fluently by 14 months so I wasn't really sure what was normal.

Ds really loves actions, he can do the actions to songs like incy wincy but he doesn't try to sing.

I'm really pleased to hear signing doesn't delay speach.

OP posts:

HermioneWeasley · 10/02/2014 19:08

It accelerates spoken language because it helps them develop their understanding of language. As other posters have said, be sure to say the word when you sign.

growltigersontheloose · 10/02/2014 19:16

My DS loves the fact that he can be understood, his little face lights up if you say the word that he is trying to sign. I think that it was doing a few basic signs that made him realise that he could communicate, and he has come on in leaps and bounds since then.

He does a good mixture of both signs and words/sounds and it does seem that often the sign has helped him get the word. For example, with 'please' and 'more' he used the signs a few weeks before he said the words, now he uses both together. He signs some animals, makes the noise for others and uses the right word for a few.

He's 16 months btw, and we've been signing since he was 11 months.

neversleepagain · 10/02/2014 19:21

My twins are 16 months and we also speak two languages at home. They sign quite well and know 5 words between them. I was worried that they are behind in learning to talk but after talking with other mums with babies of the same age, they seem "on track".

Communication isn't necessarily talking, signing is a fantastic way for babies to communicate with their parents.

Misslaughalot · 10/02/2014 19:54

DD is 14 months and I have been going to signing classes with her since she was 5 months old. At the weekend we wrote down the words she could sign and those she could say. She has 15 signs and 18 words. There is some crossover, but there are also words she can sign but not say and vice versa.

I certainly believe that signing has been encouraging her speech, as the first 5 words she spoke were whilst she was signing them. Like others say, as long as you say the word when you sign, you are encouraging both forms of communication.

Good luck with it!

kritur · 10/02/2014 21:25

Quite the opposite with my daughter. We signed from about 5 months and she started speaking quite early. I got "mama" at around 8 months. At her 2 year assessment she was assessed as having language skills of nearly 4 yrs.

LIG1979 · 10/02/2014 22:01

I find dd will start signing and saying words at the same time. It helps me to understand what she is saying and encourage her when she has a new word. I am fairly sure I would not understand all her new words without the signs to go with them and then she would get frustrated that I wasn't understanding her.

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