When did your child 1st start signing?

[janinek]

My first daughter made her first sign 'milk' at about 8 months and soon after that started with 'more', 'eat' and the rest came soon after like crazy by her 1st birthday. We're starting to use signs with our 4month old, and am wondering if she will start signing earlier than 8months.

[dmmetler]

I started signing with Alli almost from birth. Alli started occasionally imitating signs at about 6 1/2 months and began initiating them at 7 1/2 months. At 9 months she was initiating signs without first imitating them, which sometimes makes it hard to figure out what she's saying.

At about 10 months, she stopped adding new signs as quickly and started getting spoken words, so right now its about 50/50.

[ASLReBecca]

Craig is now 12 yrs old-he began signing at 4 1/2 months.
Daytona is 23 months old-she began signing at 5 months.

For a child to begin early to sign, one must be consistent with it. If you sign only every other time MILK for a baby, it's not consistent. I have a friend who does not sign consistently with her three children and she just doesn't understand why they won't sign back to her. It's the same as discipline and love. One must be consistent with children in all they do.

Sincerely,
ReBecca

[lovemy6sweeties]

and he signed back to us at 13 months.... I tried to do it earlier, but I just wasn't consistent. He has developmental delays, so that could also be why it took him longer, but within a year of signing his first sign, he had 100 signs. He is a signing sponge :)

[ASLReBecca]

Ahhh, see I would put all the onus on you, only because your darling is so cute! Stay consistent! That's the key!!!

Developmental delays? He only has DS. That just means (to me) that he has a different learning style and a bigger heart! Grins!!

I absolutely loved my stint at teaching children with Downs. I got to work with two little children that were deaf! They were quick too! I just had to find their learning styles! Gotta love 'em and their scrumptious little smiles!

Sincerely,
ReBEca

[ImJAZZed14]

I started signing with Karissa from birth but I wasn't all THAT consistant. When I remembered to sign to her I would but that didn't happen to be every time. She really started signing back at about 8-9 months. All of a sudden she was signing MILK, MAMA, DADDY, MORE, EAT (her most common), and she just signed BEAR for the first time today. She'll do CEREAL some of the time but that's not as common. It's so much fun!!! I love it!!!

[signsofearlylife]

We started signing with Jacob (hearing) at just over 8 months and he signed back at 10 months, and now at almost 3 knows well over 350 signs. We started signing with Jaina (hearing) from birth and she started signing back MILK at 6 months (and 4 days) and added a few signs here and there. At 10 months she used about 10 signs, and now at just having turned one year, she uses about 25 signs. She signed back much earlier since we started earlier, but also took much longer to sign (6 months as opposed to Jacob's 2 months) - which can be frustrating to some parents, as I remind the families in my classes.

[kimberly]

Neither of my boys started signing until they were close to a year old, and we had been signing with them since they were newborns. I'm impressed at how young so many of your children were when they started signing back! But for anyone waiting, don't get discouraged. They'll start signing when they want to. ;)

[musictchr1]

Neither of my boys started signing until they were close to a year old, and we had been signing with them since they were newborns. I'm impressed at how young so many of your children were when they started signing back! But for anyone waiting, don't get discouraged. They'll start signing when they want to. ;)

ITA! I signed fairly consistently with Corinne from very early on, and she finally signed ("light" of all things! :rolleyes: ) at about 11 months. She just picked up "more" last week, so at 12.5 months, she's signing back two sings, but understands so many more.

I'm amazed at how early some of your kiddos are signing back (and I admit that I'm a little jealous!)!!!

Heather

[ASLReBecca]

I'm amazed at how early some of your kiddos are signing back (and I admit that I'm a little jealous!)!!!

Heather

I should speak up and say that signing is the main way we communicate at home. I didn't start the "total communication" plan until our daughter was about 14 months. Some people tell me my speech is too deaf when I get tired, so I didn't want her speaking with more of a deaf accent. Plus, it's easier to simply sign than to sign and speak for me. Hope that helps the ol' jealousy bug drop dead! Grins!;)

[lovemy6sweeties]

Stay consistent! That's the key!!!
Developmental delays? He only has DS. That just means (to me) that he has a different learning style and a bigger heart! Grins!!
I absolutely loved my stint at teaching children with Downs. I got to work with two little children that were deaf! They were quick too! I just had to find their learning styles! Gotta love 'em and their scrumptious little smiles!

I agree 100%. Our problem was that it was hard to remember to sign, but once we got serious and started watching ST! a lot with our younger kids, it was easier. I think before we got all the kids on board, it was just ME signing to Brady, and it wasn't reinforcing enough, but once we ALL started signing to him, then it clicked.

I loved your comment about developmental delays. It is very true that most people w/ds have different learning styles. Brady learns best visually and with music and that makes all the difference in the world in how quickly he learns things. If you show him a sign for something, and put it into a song - you're set. Although, he does pick up other things too, just verbally teaching him things does not work as well. Although he is imitating and repeating our words a lot more - so we're thrilled about that.

I think it is very cool that you're a teacher and that you've taught kids w/ds. Many many people w/ds have conductive hearing loss, so sign is sooo important for them.

Thanks for your compliments - we think he's adorable too :D

[Teresa Jo]

Daniel did his first sign at 9 months and by 12 months he had 6 signs. I was thrilled when he started to sign. I am amazed at some of the early signers here. I thought I was signing with Daniel a lot, but it isn't consistant as signing everytime I talk to him.

[amiller]

Anyka was 10 mos old, but my niece is 8 mos and she is starting to sign "milk" when ready to nurse, so it probably varies a lot, like first words do.

[kilikicurran]

I started signing at around 3 months and Brady signed milk at around 10. He's now 19 and does / knows about 80. I've been so thrilled!!

[EcoMom]

It was btwn 8-10 months.She first signed potty, eat, more, finished. She's very verbal now, and requests ST all day/every day. We started potty training at six months and I used to sign and sign the ABC song while she was on the potty. She's not got the amount of fine motor skills need to successfully do the ASL form of many signs, but I usually know what she means because I see her "practicing" trying to sign along w/the DVD's.

[Kei_as_in_K]

William was 11 months old the first time he signed to us. We'd begun when he was a few months old. His first sign was 'more' which he used after Daddy gave him his first taste of chocolate ice cream! So of course, he got another spoonful! His signing was sporadic even after he started receiving Speech Therapy through our local Early Intervention program. He was 2 when we discovered Signing Time, and he loved it and his signing picked right up.

[amiller]

His first sign was 'more' which he used after Daddy gave him his first taste of chocolate ice cream!

I love this kid already! A boy after my own heart!

[rmorrow]

We thought my oldest signed his first word MORE at 15 months, but in hindsight, we think we missed his first signing attempts and didn't realize some of the clapping was actually a sign... He now knows many signs and he's 3 1/2.

My baby (almost 15 months) signed back close to 6 or 7 months (I've lost track). Now, he consistently signs about 25 words and has signed about 45! I'm so amazed! He even attempts to sign more difficult handshapes like "I LOVE YOU" which I would never have guessed he would try since he can't remotely make that ILY fingershape. But, he thrusts out his index finger very proudly when you sign it to him. :)

Cutest to me was one of his first multi-word phrases, accompanied by his cute little baby voice saying "Ba Tiiii" and signing BABY TIME for his Baby Signing Time videos!

[rosewell527]

I am pleased at all the diversity in age ranges that children begin to sign. It seems to be consistent though with the differences in development anyway (some kids develop sooner in some things and slower in others).

My daughter (13 months old) was born 7 weeks premature. We have been signing (not so consistently since she was about 6 months old). She finally signed milk to us at about 12 months and is now trying to mimic other signs such as ball and flag (her favorite object). She definately understands more signs than she is signing (such as eat and cat for example) but has yet to sign them. I am glad that I am not the only one whose child did not begin to sign as an infant. She only began clapping her hands together at 11 months. Now mind you she is already walking (or running i should say) and has been doing that since 10 months old.

Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to encourage consistency in signing (meaning I will sign, but my DH does not always do it.)

[lovemy6sweeties]

well - maybe he'll just walk around the house singing the songs or making up new words for the songs - like mine ;) But - watching did help my husband get more motivated to sign with our son. I would say that my older kids and myself are the ones who mainly sign to Brady, but my hubby will - especially if he can't understand what Brady is saying - he will ask him to sign it for him. If he doesn't understand the sign, then he'll ask one of us LOL

It wasn't until we got really consistent with signing the 3 or 4 things we were teaching Brady at the time, signing them every time we said them, that he started being really consistent with signing back. Then once he understood the benefits of being able to communicate with us - he got really motivated to learn, and he became a signing sponge. I would say that he now knows over 300 signs - which probably isn't much for language for a 3 year old, but is very helpful for a child with down syndrome with limited verbal ability!

[lovemy6sweeties]

She was signing milk, dog and eat last month. I don't know if the holiday travel threw her off or what. She doesn't seem interested anymore? I wonder if she'll pick it back up?

Jill

but so far he has always started up again, and usually with better sign control and fluency. Keeping my fingers crossed it's the same for your little one :)

[c01dunlap]

She was signing milk, dog and eat last month. I don't know if the holiday travel threw her off or what. She doesn't seem interested anymore? I wonder if she'll pick it back up?

Jill
Jill,

This is very common - I'm sure I've seen a couple of threads on this. A quick search found http://www.signingtime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324 as an example. Just like with other skills kids learn & master, they sometimes set them aside while they concentrate on new ones. They haven't forgotten, and usually pick it back up later; I'm sure she will, especially if you continue to use sign. Watch for new signs too - she may be doing a modified version of mommy/daddy or other ones. (Sophie used her index finger for those for the longest time). Oh, found another. See also http://www.signingtime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247

Keep signing!!