DS5's first sign!!! proud mummy moment!

[misscutandstick]

last night watching the TV intently (hardly ever does) as it was on 'pause', the scene was of a motorcyclist passing some cars...

He watched intently for about a minute then raised both hands to a fist and oposing movements up and down. maybe it was a 'car' sign, or maybe it was a 'bike' sign (handlebars maybe?) who knows? anyhoo, he repeated the action 2 or 3 times (didnt look around for the 'shared attention' thing tho, not seeming to want to communicate something (hes non-verbal) but more of something copied and remembered, I hadnt just shown him.

I was just really pleased - he did it all on his own, pity i didnt understand, and he didnt actually do it to me. but hey ho! brill!!!

by the way, 6 days after this first post, DS5 produced a well formed 'bird' sign, again unprompted whilst looking at a book by himself. again not to anyone in particular, but it does show that hes taking in what we are doing and why , (even when it looks like its pointless)... yay!!

disneystar, it's great that you are thinking about learning to sign for your baby. i teach deaf children and i'd say start as soon as you can, especially as you've noticed how visual your lo is.

has anyone been in touch with you from the education side of things? they may be able to arrange someone to come and work with you and help the family to learn some british sign language.

you'll be able to use it straight away, just as you would speak to a hearing child. good luck!

p.s. - if you'd like to start a new thread with any questions, i'll keep a lookout!

thanks for all your advise youve all been great

Just wanted to update this thread! It has been nearly 10wks since this thread started (OMG that long???) and since then DS5 has been an absolute star bless him!

WARNING!!! PROUD MUMMY ALERT!!! WARNING!!!

he now "regularly" (about 3times a week) will sign something, although he still only uses about 5 signs (bird, car, train, boat, crab) he will sign them in context, and very occasionally will sign in the vague direction of me. Yesterday we went shopping, he was in his pram and noticed some 'cars' stickers, he signed 'car' and then signed again roughly-in-a-roundabout-fashion almost-to-me! so i know its not exactly leaps and bounds and its never in relation to his needs/wants... but hes getting better and better!

well done to him absolutely fab xx

well done!!

fantastic!
DD is also improving her signing and is almost able to do 'more', but cannot as yet use any alternatives to a screeeeeech to communicate anything useful (eg 'I'm extrememly thirsty'; 'it hurts here'; or 'gosh, I'm frightfully hungry')

Brilliant!!!!