I have been really thinking about getting Tyler into baby sign language. I don't know if I really should because he doesn't seem like he actually "UNDERSTANDS" me when I am talking to him...doesn't that mean he won't be able to understand when I am trying to teach him the signs? He does know the word "No" but what baby doesn't? lol other than that even the words "Tyler come here" doesn't register with him. (as far as I know)

I just know he wouldn't be so frusterated if he could actually tell me what HE wants. He gets SO MAD at me because I have to guess what he wants and I don't ALWAYS guess it correctly. He doesn't point so it makes it even more difficult to figure out why hes crying. He just screams and I have to offer things to him pretty much. If it isn't what he wants he throws it away from him and grunts and his face turns 6 shades of red, then goes back to screaming. lol It is humorus for the first 10 seconds.

Anyway...if anyone has ever tried this please let me know how it went. I know most of the signs myself and have already taught them to my older 2 children. I just have to work with Tyler now if I decide to actually try it.

Thanks! April

Hi
I can only talk of my own experience with Anthony.
Anthony has been in a school for 2yrs and the school use makaton sign language ( Anthony has not yet picked up one sign). I asked for anthony not to be taught it directley. I felt, at that point, he was starting to use speech and it may just confuse him further. i also felt sign is not universal and if he used the sign with people who knew it, then fine, but when he tried it with people like gran etc. they might not responed to the signs and it would lead to him becoming frustrated and put off and more confused and anxious.
I opted for gesturing instead. as every one can understand and use gesture. ie for no I would accompany it with me waving my hands palms down and across one another. to give him a visual clue as well as the word. etc. "stop" hand out palm facing him and say stop. etc.
i have been given a wonderful tool on this site and that was to use photos to back up nouns and reinforce words, again giving Anthony a strong visual picture to go with the word.
i have now even turned this into social stories " i couldn't tell Anthony a social story as there was too much language but through photo's i have made three social story books like the story of wait. Anthony couldn't differentiate between wait and no so with the photo's ( we took a photo of him on the computer and put anthony's turn, then the next picture his sister on the computer and said Anthony WAIT, then him back on the comuter Anthony's turn and did this with bouncy castle, chutes etc.) we have taught him that wait means we are not saying you can't have a turn but, you can have a turn if you WAIT. this has worked wonders.
i hope this is of some use and that you can turn it round in any way to fit in with your own son but I do understand he is much younger than anthony and perhaps it might be different if you teach him sign from a very young age.
Good luck
Bernadette.

For my son, sign language worked well when he was a baby. He stopped signing when he could speak words instead. I used/signed 5 words only, then when he started to sign back, I'd drop in another one or two.

We began with up, more, milk, all done, eat, fan, outside, water. It did help me figure out what he wanted so we could avoid tantrums. I did the words fan (for ceiling fan) and outside (you do the word "out" twice) just for fun reasons...I'd walk him over to the light switch, point to the ceiling fan, say the word fan several times, make the swirling fan sign, and put his hand on the switch. Then, I'd help him turn it on. This was basic cause-effect stuff you always do with babies, but it cracked him up that he not only could understand the signed and spoken word, but I'd actually carry his little butt over to the light switch any old time he signed that he wanted me to. Such power! Same thing for going outside.

My rule of thumb was, the very moment he made a sign to me, I'd haul butt to do exactly what he wanted. He learned to combine signs like this, too. When he was in the high chair, he'd sign up and I'd ask (and sign) are you "all done" eating?, then he'd sign all done, up. Then, I'd say let's get you up/sign up and get him out of the chair pronto.

He got SUCH a thrill out of actually getting me to do what he wanted, I think it encouraged him to communicate. He had about 500 spoken words in his vocabulary by age 2, and we think the concept of signing helped him there. He still won't converse unless he wants to, but his vocabulary is still excellent at age 5. Maybe your other 2 kids were the same way???

Mine still uses some signs. He also makes up signs when he can't get a word out. I can't see how it could hurt.

My nephew is using the baby sign language and its really helping! He is a little over 2 and goes to the early intervention program at the county office of ed class. He is non-verbal and we weren't sure what he understood, becuase he acts like your not talking. But now, with the baby sign language, he can finally comminicate. Its takes awhile, but its so cool! When he grunts and leads us to things, we sometimes have to take his hands to do the 'eat more' signs. We make sure he does them on his own, or with our help or he won't get the food. Its really amazing what a few signs can do for a small child that is unable to talk.