Should I teach my son sign language??? | Autism PDD

Whatever you have to do to get your son to understand that words are TOOLS is the way to go.  Using a VISUAL communication system is excellent for doing that with ASD kids, who tend to be VERY visual.  PECS is GREAT, but that means the child needs a PECS book with him all the time.  Sign is great because the child has his fingers with him at all times, but VERY FEW people understand sign language, whereas everyone can understand a PECS symbol.  Also, for some kids it's WAY easier to point to a symbol than to form a sign with their fingers.  Easier for parents to learn, too.  ANY speech therapist who works with an ASD child should be able to do either of these systems and also teach the parents. TEACHING THE PARENTS TO USE THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM CONSISTENTLY AT ALL TIMES IS KEY.  Don't worry about your child not speaking because he has a visual form of communication.  Kids will speak using their voices if the CAN.  Decades of studies have shown this to be true.  The point is that you MUST use whatever methods you can use to get your child to use communication FUNCTIONALLY.  That may mean locking up food and toys and ONLY allowing him access if he signs or points to an icon or speaks.  Get the speech therapist to help you figure out what will work best for you, your son and your family. A communication system is only as good as how much it is used.Thanks you all for info. I really am going to take your advise and greatly appreciate it!!!

I am a 28 yr. old mother of a 27 mo. son that has just been diagnosed with PDD. I have just started speech services for him a few weeks ago. The speech therapist has not tried at all to get him to vocally say anything, although he can say about 5 words conistently. Before his regression he could say 15 to 20 words about 17 or 18 mo. old. Now the therapist is only suggesting sign language. Do you all think that he may use sign language as a means of communication and as a result not have the motivation to want or need to speak vocally? I am so confused right now about what is best for him. I don't want to do the wrong thing. PLEASE HELP!

P.S. I live in South Georgia and I don't know of any ABA schools. Does anyone else know of some in Georgia. If so could you tell me more about this kind of setting.

Thanks! I taught Payne some sign language b/c he was getting so frustrated trying to tell me what he wanted. He knew a few basics (hungry, car, juice, potty, etc.)  I don't think it hurt him - I think it helped me. He speaks fine now...he was tongue tied so we are still helping him w/ articulation. I would check with your local CARD or ARC - they should be able to point you in the right direction for ABA. Payne's Mom39134.3314583333I have experience with this from both parent and teacher views.  For my son when he was diagnosed at 2 I was adamant that he NOT use a PECS system.  I was so scared it would label him....we were still in denial!!  As a result we went with sign and he also has apraxia.....so the imitation of motor movements was a so hard for him!!!!!!  Working as a teacher of children with autism I have worked with many wonderful people including the speech path I currently work with who uses sign language not as the sole communication piece, but to cue verbal speech and to introduce new language.  I am not saying either is better.....but it can be a valuable tool in making language connections.This may be a silly question, but I'm new to all this. What does CARD and ARC stand for. I definitely need to do that though. Thanks so much for your reply. I need all the advice I can get at this point. http://www.autism-pdd.net/links/georgia.html

Oops - sorry. CARD (Center for Autism & Related Disabilities) and ARC (www.thearc.org)
Payne's Mom39134.3347222222

Mamasquash,

So do you think from your experiences that if I request the pathologist to use verbal as well as sign, that it will probably be the best method for my son Payton?

gagirl5215

 

I think that whatever you use needs to be consistent.  I have seen using sign language to cue verbal language as very successful in some kids...not in others.  I would discuss the options with the speech person and then have everyone use the same approach.

Brennan (PDD-NOS) turns 3 next month, and has had a speech therapist coming to the house for the past several months.  She spends little time working with him on speech, and the majority of the time working with him to simply get him to interact.  Most of Brennan's progress regarding language has been because of what the family is doing, with the therapist's awareness and suggestions on how to make it more effective. 

We're currently using a combination of sign language (which I started before he was ever diagnosed using Baby Signs) and PECS, which he has quickly caught on to.  Because of the cost, I got my daughters involved and we created our own homegrown notebook and PECS using clipart that I found and laminated and a three-ring binder with velcro strips and a strip on the front that's under a plastic cover.  We carry the most used ones with us for him to use in public - right down to one that's a fast-food meal (LOL)!  and the others are left at home in a storage box and are traded out based on his daily routine and activities.

Over the past few months, we've also incorporated the Baby Bumblebee video series - he watches one in the morning during "wake-up" time and one in the afternoon right before nap - we vary between two but use those same two for about 10 days.  He enjoys saying the words with the announcer as the objects appear in the videos, and lately we're hearing them used appropriately.  He really enjoys the videos, and we're now hearing  "yes", "no", "ball", "dog", "horse", "juice" and (being a boy this one's appropriate!) "mote" - meaning the TV remote.   For him, the combination of the videos, sign language and PECS - and using them consistently - seems to be doing the trick.

It's horrible that any speech teacher who is not teaching the deaf would NOT speak.  Sign for the hearing is supposed to be a bridge to speech, not a substitute.  There is still a HUGE debate in the deaf community about voicing or not voicing, but that should have NOTHING to do with speaking during signing with an autistic child.  Your report is the first I've ever heard of sign not leading to speech, if speech is possible.  For the most part, PECS seems to have supplanted sign in this area of the country, but I would emphasize your advice about PECS, too.  The icons should ALWAYS be accompanied by the spoken word.  Hopefully, your boy is now back on track.bumpIf you do use sign I would make sure she uses speech with it and I would stick to the basics. They did the same thing with my two, and they were teaching the alphabet and everything else and had pretty much stopped speech. Not a good idea. Now Nikolas has translated the hand flapping into what looks very much like signing the alphabet and he talks to his hands while they do it. So they just gave him a new method of hand flapping. In addition to that he stopped trying to communicate verbally and it was all with signs and gestures. I told the speech therapist at his new school I did not want him taught sign. he's 4, he does not get things unless he tries to verbally ask for them, pointing, sign language and gestures is no longer enough. If it was me at 2 I would ok the sign language but only the basics and only accompanied by speech.
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