Once again...THANK YOU everybody. What a blessing to find this forum! I sent this link mentioned earlier in this thread to all of my family. http://www.signwithme.com/002_browse_signs.asp
Another wonderful resource!
Our PDD son appears to have a fairly significant auditory processing issue. We use signs to reenforce the verbal cues that we are giving him. He now has six words that he can speak but what is interesting is that those six words are the ones that he first learned the sign. More words are coming.....slowly.... but they are coming.
My son learned signing and it was a big help he stopped growling and grunting and now speaks and rarly uses signing it helped relieve alot of his tension and frustration of us not knowing what he wanted and was a good way for him to get his point across I find that signing is a big help......I agree w/ what everyone says about sign language. That along w/ using pictures (PECS...I think that is the name) was the first step to my daughter eventually communicating using language. She just learned a few key signs, but it really helped a lot.I used sign for a handful of important words... like bathroom and cookie ;)
I phased it out now that he can talk and I can understand most of what he says. But I still use it when he is getting out of control. I stop dead in my tracks and sign. It forces him to look around for me and focus. He used to just run, but I used physical prompts to keep him with me and didn't talk, only signed... so he looks for me to sign.
We are not quite ready to phase that out. my ds will use sign when he is in an environment and getting over stimmed which helps me out. We use it as a coping strategy and our secret way to talk ;)
I find it a great tool that not only helped him talk and less frustration, but we have adapted it to help us still almost 4 yrs later :)
I'll agree with what everyone said. We used sign language at the beginning. We started at about 15 months but he didn't start signing back until 20 months. I think part of the issue was motor planning- imitation skills. Anyway- it was so great to know what was going on in his head! He's learned about 25 signs total. Once the words started coming we stopped actively teaching him lots of new signs- although he learns a new sign now and then. He started talking about a month after he started signing- I don't know if it's coincidence or not. At first he said the word and did the sign. Then the signs slowly phased out. It also helps us understand him sometimes b/c his articulation isn't the greatest.Since Aiden watches hands of ST mostly, she really works w/ sign language. It's supposively a great start and many children, nt or autisic, tend to get the verbal part once they figure out the sign communication. At least this is what the stats say. So far ds won't use the signs, by himself anyway. When ST keeps asking "more?" and doing the sign, he reaches out to her for her to take his hands and make the sign so he can have what he wants, but he won't do it himself yet. At least he seems to be getting the connection between the word "more" and the sign. I think there is nothing wrong with trying anything to attempt communication.
Amber
Sign language is processed in the same area of the brain that processes verbal language. One of the defining traits of autism is a defecit in language processing. There are many steps in the processing of language, and many places where problems can occur. The ear must be able to hear spoken language, the nerves from the ear must be able to transmit sound to the brain, the brain must be able to translate those sounds into language that is meaningful. Then in order to produce a response, the brain must be able to formulate a response, the nerves from the brain must be able to transmit that response to the muscles of the face, mouth, and vocal mechanism in the throat, and all of those muscles must be able to work together to produce an intelligible reply. Then add to that the motivation problems that children with autism have. Many have little to no social motivation for praise or recognition. They may be only motivated to obtain items they desire, such as food, activities, or items.
Given all of the above it is preferable to give a non-veral, or limted verbal, child a response system that is easy for them to produce. Remember that desire for something must equal, or exceed, the effort produced to obtain it. For example, there is no amount of money that would get me to eat a bug, but obviously that is not true of all of us, given the popularity of shows like Fear Factor and Survivor! So imagine if a child has to produce tremendous effort to produce a vocal output, it would have to be something very valuable to them to make them work that hard, or perhaps just the right situation, ie. high motivation, low stress, familiar environment, etc.
This is why it is important to give a child a communication system that is easy for them to use. You want to keep them communicating. Show them the value of communication, ie. I do something and I get something good. Teach them to initiate communication. Many children with autism will not initiate communication. They will just wait until food appears before them, or will stand in front of their parent, or the refrigerator, until someone acknowledges them. They need to know the power of communication. This is something that typical children learn easily, unfortunately it is something that our children must be taught.
By all means encourage sign language, gestures, pictures, vocalizations, communication in any form. And if your child can use sign language, definitely encourage it, it will stimulate the same areas of the brain that verbal language does. You don't want to let those areas of the brain lie dormant until the child's vocal mechanism, social motivation, and initiation catch up.
This is a link to:
HOW TO TEACH PIVOTAL BEHAVIORS TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A TRAINING MANUAL
http://www.users.qwest.net/~tbharris/prt.htm
It is a description of the behaviors that are critical for children with autism to learn in order to reach a higher level of functioning. These behaviors were determined by researchers at the University of California.
My son Grant uses some sign language and also uses the PEC's system (picture exchange program). His speech therapist is the one who started him on it and she told me that most of the children that she works with sign language they end up working more on speaking because they seem to realize after they know several signs that it is much easier to just talk rather than using sign because it takes less work. Grant still uses sign and his PECS book but he also really tries using his words too.My son says words only when he absolutely can not get his point across any other way.
I have read things that said for kids with Autism may have verbal language accelarated by learning signs.
My concern is my son uses every thing else first before he communicates verbally and that signing would be another crutch. . .
Any success??? Any Setbacks ?????
I am so full of questions hopefully one day I can be of help.
No problem with questions! We all have them and we rely on each other a lot here. Please feel free to ask anything you'd like!I have heard the same thing. Communication in any form is they beginning. Just understanding the concept of doing something to get something. Be sure to say the word as well as sign, and always interpret the sign for your child when they do it. Owen uses *more* consistantly, we are now working on *all done*
This is a great site http://www.signwithme.com/video_display.asp?ID=20
Also, one thing I didn't do, was take away the prompt quickly enough. Owen will do the sign more after I do it first. I have always had to show him first, and the ST has told me, that he now thinks that is how it is said (or sone) mommy does it first then I do it. So I am working hard on getting him to do it without me showing him first. He is actually doing well with it now. So just be sure to remove your prompt (for anything really) as soon as possible so he doesn't rely on it :)
My son Do not talk and is Do well with Sign Launage he also use PCES system
In most case of Child that can't talk Sign Launage has been a keep to
most part of the Talking my son might be on the Path to talking
I will have to see and it most for Sign Launage.