Sign Language

Both of my boys began speech therapy around the age of 16 months. The speech therapists tried sign language with them in those early months since they weren't talking yet. Brady caught on to the "more" sign around 21 months old, but he over generalized the sign and tried to use it for any word he wanted to communicate with. Many speech therapists try to avoid "more" for this very reason, and instead introduce other noun signs such as "eat" or "play". With Ty, we are currently working on the "eat" sign for him to request a snack, and the "all done" sign to tell us he would like to be finished with a task or a meal.

Signs are sometimes easier for our kids than speech due to oral motor delays. I find with my boys the motor planning of a sign can even be a challenge. We adapt many signs so that they touch their hands together or a hand to their body to give them a tactile input when doing the sign. This has proven to be very effective with Brady. It took a long time for signs to make a difference in Brady's life...but when they did...it was SOOOOO worth it!

Many parents find that kids affected by autism cue in to video better than anything else. Other families very early in our journey recommended Baby Einstein and Baby Bumblebee videos to me. Of course, desperate for my son to communicate, I bought a series of both videos before Brady turned 2. To my disappointment, Brady had no interest in either of these, and seemed to actually be afraid of the Baby Bumblebee videos...the same videos a fellow autism mom told me gave her son a huge boost in his verbal vocabulary. I was at a loss, because I knew that Brady craved videos, but I quickly learned these choices were not for him. I didn't know where to turn next.

Then a friend of a friend lent me the first DVD of a series called "Signing Time". I was curious so I popped it in one day, and Brady was glued...glued to the television for a full half hour, watching and laughing and totally interested in what he saw. I was thrilled, thinking this might be a way to connect Brady to signs and words. For months, this was his favorite video but nothing more...no imitation, no signs, still no speech...but we kept watching. And finally it happened.

We had begun biomedical interventions at this point, and that seemed to be opening him up to learn and grow. It was a weekday evening, Brady and I were at home alone, Ty was just a baby and already sleeping. We popped in that "Signing Time" video before bedtime. The video popped up the word eat and showed the kids doing the sign and saying the word...and he just did it...he did the sign and he said quietly but clearly, "eat". I did a double take, shocked at what I heard. Before I could react, the video moved on to the next word/sign, "ball". And again, Brady did the sign and said "ball". It was the sweetest moment we'd ever had together...and it wasn't a one time deal. I rewound the movie, and he did it again! Of course after kissing and hugging him and throwing him round in the air, I started making phone calls to family and therapists and friends with the amazing news. It was truly a dream come true to hear his beautiful little voice.

It was many months before Brady's verbal vocabulary grew beyond this, but this was the beginning for him. I believe that speech came with signing because of the motor planning aspect. It was easier for him to motor plan orally when he was motor planning the sign as well. As he continued to use these 2 new words, he always paired them with the sign. For Brady, "Signing Time" videos were key to his communication progress. We now have a collection of the videos, and they are still favorites for both Brady and Ty. The songs are their favorite parts, and they do some of those same songs with their music therapist each week. Brady now imitates many many signs and words during the videos, and I hope that very soon Ty will join him in doing so. We even found a "Signing Time" application for the iPhone...and of course, that's their favorite app.

This is another lesson of keep trying...keep searching...and you will find that thing that connects with your child. And when you do, make the most of it, build on it...the $60 I spent to get those first "Signing Time" DVDs was the best $60 I ever spent :-)