| While working in a private practice setting I | | | | understand and use the structure of language |
| consistently worked with children who were | | | | better when compared. |
| approximately two years of age. The primary | | | | Many parents may believe that using sign with |
| concern of most parents in the clinic was that | | | | babies may appear to only be beneficial for |
| their children were not talking. During the session | | | | children who have speech delays and may delay |
| the child's social interaction during the session and | | | | speech for those children who are considered to |
| also from how interested they were with | | | | be normal developing. |
| communicating were always a determinant on | | | | Research that was performed by Linda Acredolo |
| which program would be most beneficial for the | | | | and Susan Goodwyn conducted a study that |
| child. Many times with children who were very | | | | revealed that children who were exposed to sign |
| interactive and interested in communicating they | | | | were able to speak sooner than their |
| would be introduced to sign due to it being easy | | | | counterparts who were not exposed to sign and |
| for the child to understand and also use to | | | | also increased syntactical skills. With teaching sign |
| communicate. | | | | language, parents primarily present sign as they |
| While introducing sign to many my clients at the | | | | would speak verbally (e.x., big dog) which allows |
| clinic, I was consistently asked by the parents if | | | | for babies to understand the order of language. |
| the child would sign only and never want to talk | | | | With this understanding when spoken word |
| or delay their speech development even longer. I | | | | appears they understand that the same rules |
| would always inform the parents that giving the | | | | apply. With the results from this study and also |
| child a means to communicate is the primary | | | | the understanding of how to present sign it is |
| reason that sign is so beneficial, secondly research | | | | clear that using sign language does not delay a |
| has revealed that babies who use sign to | | | | child's speech but yet improves their speech skills. |
| communicate have been found to be able to | | | | |