Hard to understand speech/sign language

March 25, 2004

Hi everyone!

I have been reading about some of your kids having a hard time

communicating...and I am wondering if you have ever considered integrating a bit

of sign

language into your children's vocabulary? Xavier and my husband are deaf so we

sign for the baby, (Lance is completely oral) but when my older son Wyatt was

about 2 he had almost no hearing due to chronic ear infections. This resulted

in a very frustrated little boy who knew what he wanted to say, but couldn't

find or say the words he was looking for. A few signs helped him to relax and

get his point across without getting frustrated, and it actually helped him

learn to speak the words he was signing. If you take out the frustration

aspect,

it goes much quicker. I can't tell you how much of a difference it made,

when instead of trying to tell me he wanted some juice and me having no idea

what

he was talking about, resulting in him getting so frustrated he'd cry and

just give up, he was able to learn the sign for juice and get his message

across..then I was able to help him -say- juice while giving it to him. A lot

of

people think that teaching sign language to a kid will delay their speech, but

that is completely the opposite of the truth. It reinforces a word in more than

one way..you learn the sign, you see the object, you say the word. Wyatt now

speaks just fine, and the only sign language he uses is when he's talking to

or around Xavier. As I said, my husband no longer signs, (except around the

kids so Xavier can " listen " in on our conversations) is completely oral, and

has no problem understanding or being understood...and he is almost completely

deaf.

Just a thought, it really helped us out!

Jen

Xavier 15months, 15lbs!, 27in RSS, G-tube, Fundoplacation, 27 cal Formula,

Myrilax, ST, OT, PT, FT

Emerald, 5, Non RSS

Wyatt, 4, Non RSS

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