Baby Sign Language

[GrainneDhu]

Thanks for the link, BeanE...Either Ron Tarver is misquoting TH's success with Kyron and signing with her at 6 months of age or TH misrepresented herself to RT. IMO.

I know that all babies develop at different rates, but just looking at average milestones it's hard to believe that Kryon was significantly signing to a stepmom he saw for a very short period of time during that time frame.

I was a SAHM and lived and breathed my first born child. At six months, although she was very advanced...she was cutting her first teeth at six months and formally being introduced to jar food. Newborns don't typically gain full vision until 4-5 months. Kyron had vision problems.

I think the significance of this thread is that TH may have misrepresented her success in Kyron's life.

I know it's supposed to be about baby k and what she may have been able to communicate about the day Kyron disappeared. But, I feel it's important to explore if TH actually even taught Kryon sign. Probably a question for a different thread. LOL

I think it also depends on what exactly was meant by Kyron having "learned sign language" at six months.

I thought it meant that Kyron was using a few signs correctly. I know from working with deaf clients that babies raised by signing parents start to "babble" sign-like gestures around three months old. That means that they make repetitive gestures that are part of complete gestures used in sign language, in much the same way "ah, da, ma, ra" etc are common syllables that babies babble verbally as part of their preparation for talking.

I wouldn't expect a six month old baby to use full sign language, that's just not realistic. But to use a few signs, such as bottle, hug, toy, etc, is very doable and doesn't actually take all that long to teach.

For example, I taught my nephew a sign for "braid," meaning for me to swing my braid over my shoulder so he could play with it. He was around five or six months old and it only took one session of me making the sign for him, then swinging my braid over my shoulder for him to play with for him to figure it out and then use it accurately during visits after that.

He even figured out that neither his father nor his mother could give him a braid to play with. He tried out the sign with each of them a few times and then quit because it got him no results.

 

[craftybatchy]

*copied & pasted from my own post in other thread*

Sign Language has become an important part of language acquisition for many children, not just those with hearing impairments. Many mommy/daddy & me playgroups encourage language acquisition through the use sign language as an accompaniment to commonly sung nursery rhymes, childrens games, etc. TH had a MA. Ed. and more than likely had come across instances where other educators were using sign with typically functioning children, not just those with known or suspected deficits.

In reference to the issue of signing having any benefit to a child with sight impairments .... It is possible for a child with even moderate visual impairments to benefit from using sign. Even if a child does not demonstrate comprehension and proficiency when using sign, the actual physical act of forming gestures/signs while mouthing the words, hearing someone else say those same words, stimulates areas in the brain which are vital to language acquisition, strengthens fine motor skills, and improves ocular motor development.

JMO, but .... TH may have suspected even during Ks infancy that there could be issues with behavior, learning, and development - hence her decision to incorporate sign into Ks early learning.

 

[krowdkat]

*copied & pasted from my own post in other thread*

Sign Language has become an important part of language acquisition for many children, not just those with hearing impairments. Many mommy/daddy & me playgroups encourage language acquisition through the use sign language as an accompaniment to commonly sung nursery rhymes, childrens games, etc. TH had a MA. Ed. and more than likely had come across instances where other educators were using sign with typically functioning children, not just those with known or suspected deficits.

In reference to the issue of signing having any benefit to a child with sight impairments .... It is possible for a child with even moderate visual impairments to benefit from using sign. Even if a child does not demonstrate comprehension and proficiency when using sign, the actual physical act of forming gestures/signs while mouthing the words, hearing someone else say those same words, stimulates areas in the brain which are vital to language acquisition, strengthens fine motor skills, and improves ocular motor development.

JMO, but .... TH may have suspected even during Ks infancy that there could be issues with behavior, learning, and development - hence her decision to incorporate sign into Ks early learning.

TH's exposure to Kyron between birth and 6 months old would be extremely limited based on msm reports. I'm beginning to understand Desiree's statement to msm that TH lies.

I want to know the truth. I don't see how it's possible for TH to teach Kyron sign language if she wasn't the primary caregive from 0-6 months.

 

[Etilema]

Sometimes a preverbal child sees things that she can't articulate at the time, but can discuss it later, when she is capable of speech. I had several such experiences myself as a child (one very dramatic) and have heard of a number of others (such as a particular object being put into storage before a child is able to talk, then when she is older she asks where that object is.)

 

[Etilema]

TH's exposure to Kyron between birth and 6 months old would be extremely limited based on msm reports. I'm beginning to understand Desiree's statement to msm that TH lies.

I want to know the truth. I don't see how it's possible for TH to teach Kyron sign language if she wasn't the primary caregive from 0-6 months.

Yes, it seems the information comes from Jxxx and TH's ex-husband. Well, Jxxx would have been about 9 when Kyron was born. I wonder if he observed first-hand that TH did these things, or whether it was an oft-repeated story that he assumed was true. (Surely Ron Tarver would only know from second-hand reports, as he was not living with the Hormans.)

All speculation and JMO.

 

[eyes4crime]

Anytime a loved one can enhance communication with a baby, IMO, everyone gains. How great is that?

What can baby K say using sign? How much she misses the tender touches of her mommy.

That would be my guess - certainly there must be a sign for crying/sadness and love, along with a sign for 'mommy'. :no: