Benefits

Research studies show that babies can understand speech long before they have the fine motor skills to speak. As children learn how to talk, they often become frustrated because they understand so much more than they are able to verbailze.

Sign language gives perverbal hearing children the ability to communicate their wants and needs. Children no longer need to get frustrated and tantrum over the inability to communicate with their caregivers. The "Terrible Twos" can actually become a thing of the past! You will reduce your child's frustration by giving them communication skills that will last a lifetime.

Even a baby as young as 7 months old can learn and produce signs. This interactive communication at such a young age builds a closer bond between parent and baby. Researchers have found that children who learn sign language actually accelerate the development of their verbal skills as well as expand thier cognitive and intellectual skills.

American Sign Language (ASL) is the 3rd most common language in the United States. Children who are bilingual can gain as much as 16 points in IQ.

ASL also gives special needs children a way to communicate effectively. Children with Autism, Down Syndrome and other disabilities have benefitted tremendously from learning how to sign.

ASL or Baby Signs?

Chatty Hands believes in the use of American Sign Language. Since this is a tool for preverbal children to use as a mode of communication until their verbal skills develop, we only have to focus on key vocabulary words, rather than the grammar and syntax of the language. Once baby learns to speak and has confidence in being understood, he will naturally drop his use of sign language. Having learned the vocabulary from American Sign Language, the child will be able to go on to communicate with a deaf, signing child in their neighborhood, on the playground, at church or in school. Another reason to use ASL is because it helps to develop fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.