Sign language is most often thought of in the context of the deaf community. But, as research demonstrates, teaching baby sign language has numerous benefits for parent and child. Data also shows that sign language is often beneficial for children with special needs which effect their speech and/or social development, such as autism, apraxia or downs syndrome.
Sign Language and Special Needs

If you teach your baby sign language, it will have significant academic benefits, especially for children with special needs. Some children have an impairment that affects their ability to make auditory and visual connections. Sign language helps trigger that area of the brain linked to language and speech development, thus helping to expand the child’s vocabulary and enhancing speech development.

When a child’s speech development is furthered, so are his social and emotional skills. Children with special needs can be very frustrated when communication becomes difficult. This frustration may manifest itself in the form of depression or tantrums and aggression. Sign language can help remove communication barriers and eliminate much of the frustration associated with the same. By expanding his vocabulary, and eliminating communication barriers, the child will have greater self esteem and more independence and behave in a more socially accepted manner.

Sign Language and Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that often involves a delay and impairment in social and language skills and behavior. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning that all cases are different and they vary in severity. Some children will be able to speak, while some will have no speech at all. Less severe cases include Pervasive Development Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome. These children typically have normal speech, but have many of the social problems associated with autism.

The use of signing with autistic children has been growing consistently since the 1970’s. The primary purpose ofsigning with children with autism, or similar disorders, is to give them an alternative means of communication. Numerous studies have demonstrated that autistic children can be taught signing as a means of communication. Furthermore, through the use of sign language, a portion of otherwise mute children acquire speech. Thus, sign language can also be used as an augment to communication with the ultimate goal of developing speech.

There are many benefits to teaching sign language to otherwise mute and special needs children. Even if she only acquires a few basic signs, this gives the child a way of expressing her needs in an understanding and socially acceptable way. And by learning a conventional language, the child is made to take account and interact with others. All of the studies show that social awareness increases and tantrums decrease following sign language acquisition. Moreover, by acquiring a language as soon as possible, the child may acquire cognitive skills that provide a basis for continued learning and lessen the overall impact of her development disability. Visit our website for more information about sign langauge and autism

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