So here are a few more signs she's been using lately so that I have them written down for safe keeping and all. I've linked them to ASL dictionary videos so that you can see what they look like.
Flower
Football
Pay attention
School
Bear
Chicken (the sign we use is actually more of a combination of these two - first you make the beak mouth and then you peck your hand like a chicken eats)
And here's some video of the Littlest trying a few on for size:
For any of those new to the blog, and in honor of Ds Awareness Month, I should elaborate. Playette can hear perfectly, or at least pretty close to it, so far as all tests have indicated. She, and other people with Ds, may use sign language as an alternate form of communication if they are either waiting on emerging vocal language (as is the case in our house), do in fact have a hearing loss, or perhaps maybe they use it simply as a preference if they do not have clear speech.
We've been signing for Playette for probably about a year and a half and she picks it up really quickly now. In fact, we haven't been actively teaching her many signs for months. She's getting them from Signing Time (she loves to watch while I comb her hair every morning) and we're having to catch up with what she's learning for the most part.
She has a few clear words, but many more word approximations, which means that she tries to say things and people that are around her a lot may be able to interpret what she means, but the words don't come out as clear as they one day will.
Speech and language delays are not uncommon in children with Ds, and like other developmental milestones, they will be met in time.
Playette is currently receiving one hour of Speech Therapy (ST) per week at her daycare through our county's Early Intervention (EI) program.
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4 comments:
I think sign language is the GREATEST thing for our kids! I started signing with Kaia when she was 6 months old, and she started signing back when she was 13months, and initiating the signs a few months after that. From that point on she was on fire! She was like a sponge soaking them up faster than I could keep track. Last count at about age 3 or 4 was about 400 signs. Now at 5 she's talking alot more (finally) and she doesn't sign as much. She still knows them and will use them if I "quiz" her on them, but rarely ever uses them to communicate unless she can't be understood verbally, and then she will supplement with the signing to help get her point across. Honestly, I'm going to totally miss it when/if she drops it completely.
YaY Playette and all those words! :-) Thanks for sharing about Playette. I just had my third baby on 9/21 and found out a few days ago he has ds. Sites like yours are helping me a lot right now! :-) God bless!
(1) She is darling, (2) she is doing so great with signing and (3) I am planning a post on sign language and speech delay for later this week. Do you mind if I link here?
isn't it great when they start learning signs and words so fast that you can't even keep up with them?! :)
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