ROWLETT, TEXAS—
Wouldn't it be great if babies could talk like the kids in those E*TRADE commercials? We'll it's possible, sort of.Sheri Thompson has been teaching sign language to infants and parents for three years. She started teaching her daughter Sierra sign language at six months and by eight months she signed her first two words. You guess it, more milk. Thompson said from that moment on, life got easier.
"Probably a bunch of crying, not knowing that you know, is she hungry, does she need a diaper change is she tired, is she fussy, we knew right then and there was hungry and wanted more milk," Said Thompson who adds the kids usually pick up the basics fast, eat, sleepy, diaper change and play pretty fast.
"Your child actually thinks more in full sentences earlier than you think, but they cant say those sentences because their brain is not capable, but the can sign to you," Said Thompson.
Abby Strew started signing back to her mother Alison at nine months and soon after her signing vocabulary grew to more than a hundred. Alison said her first words were the same as Sierra's.
"More! That is usually the baby's first one, that's easy for them. When a baby can clap they are ready to sign and usually more is the first one because you bribe them with food," Said Alison.
Thompson said that kids who learn to sign develop better verbal skills later in life.
"There is even suggested evidence that a childs IQ increases by ten to twelve points if they were assigning a baby, toddler or pre-schooler," Said Thompson.
Alison said that some believe signing delays a childs ability to speak. She's not concerned.
"I think that to a certain extent, speech could be delayed because they are doing the sign but i think the benefit is that after they begin speaking they are going to be so much more advanced," Said Alison.
Thompson said signing also helps parents and pediatricians identify medical issues like pain and injuries.
