Eileen
Hitzeman
March
9, 2015
Sign Language in Early Intervention
The ability to communicate, to make our wants
and needs known, to interact with the world around us is an
essential part of life. For those with disabilities communication
skills can expand opportunities to be a functional member of their
community. Establishing language/communication skills at an early
age is a vital foundation for success in life.
In 1986 Congress established the program of
Early Intervention for infants and toddlers from birth up to their
third birthday to address the needs of those with developmental
delays and handicaps as part C of Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). On September 6, 2011, the U.S. Department of
Education announced the release of the final regulations for the
Early Intervention which included emphasis on quality early learning
for the birth to three population with disabilities. (IDEA 2004:
Building the Legacy Part C) [1]
As reported by the Data Accountability Center,
in 2011 over 330,000 eligible infants and toddlers birth through age
2 received Early Intervention services (Center for Parent
Information and Resources March 2014) [2]. Of those enrolled in
Early Intervention it is estimated that almost fifty percent receive
Speech/Language therapies.
From birth babies learn language and
communication skills. During the 24-36 month age span language
development soars. For the child with a delay it is equally
important to put strategies into place to promote language
development. Many Speech/Language Pathologists use various methods
to build vocabulary and communication skills. Sign language is one
of those methods.
Sign language can reduce frustration by
allowing preverbal children a way to express their wants and needs.
In two of the most common developmental delays, Down Syndrome and
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Sign language is often used as part
of speech/language therapies.
When a child with Down Syndrome is not
developmentally ready to use speech there will be a period when
there is a need for a transitional language system. The most
frequently used transitional language systems are sign language
(total communication in which sign and speech are used to teach
language), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS),
communication boards, and electronic communication devices. (Kumin,
L. 2012) [3].
According to The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia Research Institute’s Center for Autism Research, there
is no way to predict when or if a child will talk so it is important
to give them a means of communication. Having an alternate way to
communicate often decreases behavior issues because the child can
communicate their wants and needs. There is also research that
shows alternate forms of communication can help with verbal language
[4].
Utilizing sign language as a therapy tool can
also help improve visual processing, fine-motor coordination and
planning, and reinforces the spoken word with the symbol. For
children who learn tactilely, signing is an excellent way to
incorporate this sensory method into the therapy session. Signing
can strengthen both hemispheres of the brain, which is vital for
learning. (Myers, C. 2005)(5)
Sign language and fingerspelling can improve
language, vocabulary and reading skills. “Sign language supports
oral language development through repetitions of words or concepts
using multiple modalities. When a word is spoken and signed, the
child hears and sees the word. The child is actually receiving two
repetitions of the word through two modalities. When a child says
and signs a word, he is imprinting the word or concept through
auditory and kinesthetic means. Multi-modality repetitions
strengthen a child's recall and enhance the development of oral
language for reading comprehension. The use of signs accommodates a
wide range of learning styles. The benefit of using this system is
the representation of information through seeing, hearing, and
movement. The more pathways created in the brain, the stronger the
memory.” (Edmunds & Krupinski 2005)(6)
Sign language is static giving the child more
opportunity to store it in long-term memory. Language input and
output that is paired with sign promotes faster, more organized and
durable language development (Robertson 2007). (7)
There is much debate about the effectiveness of
visual language and/or sign language in Early Intervention
programs. You can easily find empirical evidence on both sides of
said debate. I believe we must also consider anecdotal evidence
when choosing sign language as a therapy component in Early
Intervention.
The anecdotal evidence I present here comes
from two sources. First, I will share my own experience with our
daughter who has Down Syndrome. Second, I will discuss my
observations from working in an Early Intervention program for the
past seventeen years. While this evidence is not scientific or
measurable it can be helpful along with empirical evidence when
considering the use of sign language in an Early Intervention
setting.
When our daughter was born with Down Syndrome
we immediately enrolled her in our local Early Intervention
program. I had been studying to become an interpreter for the Deaf
and had a functional knowledge of American Sign Language. The
Speech Language Pathologist assigned to us encouraged us to begin
using sign with our daughter from the beginning. By the time she
was eighteen months old she had a fifty word sign vocabulary. We
continued using sign with her as her speech developed. She used it
well into her elementary years as a tool for clarification. She
also found fingerspelling to be very useful on spelling tests in
elementary school. We also believe her knowledge of sign language
helped her with reading. As our daughter’s speech developed she
dropped the signing but still retains some sign vocabulary. She
graduated from her community high school with a fifth grade reading
level (considered functional) and maintained a 3.4 GPA through high
school (revised classes). We believe much of her academic success
results from a good language/vocabulary foundation built through the
use of sign language in her early years.
In addition to my experience with my daughter I
have observed many children in Early Intervention have successful
outcomes using sign language. I work as a support person with
Speech Language Pathologists providing Augmentative Communication
resources (sign language, pictures, technology) to families with
children with various speech delays. We have found using sign
language is a very useful tool to help the children communicate
while working on speech as well. What I have observed is reduced
frustration and increased communication in many of the children.
Our program averages 300+ children per year many with speech
delays. While sign language does not work in every situation we
have seen many use it successfully.
When used with other methods sign language can
be an effective tool for building vocabulary, speech and
communication skills in the birth to three (Early Intervention)
population.
References
1. U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Special Education Programs’ (OSEP’s) Part C of the IDEA . IDEA
2004: Building the Legacy Part C.
http://idea.ed.gov/part-c/search/new Retrieved 2/2014
2. Center for Parent Information and Resources:
Early Intervention, Then and Now.
A legacy resource from NICHCY.
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/ei-history/
Retrieved 2/2015
3. Kumin, Libby National Down Syndrome
Congress: Speech and Language Resource Guide For Parents of
Infants and Toddlers with Down Syndrome: Birth To First Word
http://ndsccenter.org/worpsite/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Infant-Toddlers.pdf
Retrieved 10/2014
4. The Center for Autism Research and The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2014 American Sign
Language
http://www.carautismroadmap.org/american-sign-language/?print=pdf
Retrieved 3/2015
5. Meyers, Carol. ADVANCE for Occupational
Therapy Practitioners March 2005, Vol. 21 •Issue 6 • Page 39 Baby
Talk with a Twist
http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Baby-Talk-with-a-Twist-1.aspx
Retrieved 3/2015
6. Edmunds, Marilyn and Krupinski, Debra
PBS TeacherSource: From The Start:
The Issues: Using Sign Language and
Fingerspelling to Facilitate Early Literacy Skills May 17, 2005
page 2
7. Shari Robertson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
ASHA
Convention, 2007 USING SIGN TO FACILIATE ORAL LANGUAGE:
BUILDING A CASE WITH PARENTS
http://www.manitasinmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/Documents/1865_Robertson_Shari.pdf
Retrieved 10/2014
