Will signing delay our baby's speech? 

Research conclusively indicates that babies who sign tend to have a stronger command of verbal language and often begin speaking at an earlier age than babies who do not sign. Countless parents and caregivers have confirmed these findings with their personal experiences and observations. In addition, many Speech-Language professionals, paediatricians, and educators are supporting the use of signs to encourage early language development.

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 What is the optimal age to introduce signs to our baby?

No age is too early to begin learning and practising signs with your baby, though most babies will be physically unable to reproduce signs until six to eight months. A baby needs to develop memory, dexterity, and cognition adequate for recognising, retaining, and producing signs. At the same time, it's never too late to start; even toddlers who have a few spoken words can significantly benefit from signing. Learning specific signs for "ball", "bath", and "bottle" can help distinguish the specific word when "ba-ba" is used for all three items. Using the sign paired with the baby's spoken sound can help reduce frustration for both you and your baby. The SIGN with your BABY® program will help guide you through this process.

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 How long will it take for our baby to start signing back to us?

As a rule, if you start to sign with your 6-month-old baby, you can expect to see her signing back about 8-12 weeks later. Some babies sign back a lot sooner than that, some babies take a little longer, depending on whether they are learning to crawl or walk, which can delay them signing back to you for a few more weeks.
You should take into account the age of your child, how frequently you and other caregivers use the signs, and how interested the child is in communicating.  Consistently using a few signs on a daily basis is the key to success in this programme. The further along children are in their development, the sooner they may begin to produce signs.
But remember that even if they are not yet signing back to you, they are still able to understand many more words than a non-signing baby.  This helps them to understand routines and the world around them, which makes them a calmer, happier baby (and you a calmer, happier parent!).

All babies are different and they will develop along their own unique timelines. Be patient and consistent. Before long you will experience the joy of witnessing your child's first attempts at two-way communication.

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Are there some babies who never learn to sign? 

All typically developing babies possess the capacity to understand and reproduce signs. Gesturing is part of a baby's natural communication process. Using standardised signs allows the baby a more specific and meaningful means of communicating. However, some babies may be unable to reproduce signs due to motor or cognitive delays. Should you have any concerns about your child's development, contact your paediatrician or Speech-Language Professional.

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 What scientific research supports the idea of signing with babies? 

Joseph Garcia first researched the concept of learning and teaching signs to babies in 1987 as part of his Master's Program at Alaska Pacific University. A longitudinal study was conducted at the University of California at Davis by Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn. This study, which followed babies through their eighth year, indicated that signing with babies offers many benefits, including a strengthened parent-child bond, increased interest in books, enhanced verbal language development and higher IQs. 

Some questions were answered by Joseph Garcia and reprinted with kind permission from Sign2Me