Gary and Sophia are among the growing number of children
throughout the U.S. who have enrolled in American Sign Language
classes. Sign language, once considered the sole province of the
deaf, is enjoying a renaissance of sorts as parents grasp the
concept that they can understand their child’s needs long before
they can talk. Because hand-eye coordination develops sooner than acquisition
of verbal skills, infants can learn simple signs for common words
such as “eat,” “sleep,” “more,” “hug,” “play,” “cookie” and “teddy
bear” before they are able to produce understandable speech.
Infants from about 6 months of age can begin to learn the basic
signs. This article highlights the importance of communicating with and engaging a deaf child early on.