The Advantages of Sign Language
As a hearing parent to a child with hearing loss, I know how challenging it can be to communicate with your child. This is where the advantages of sign language are helpful to families.
While speech therapy helps to close the communication gap, it may not always be enough.
Sign language increases the ability to communicate with your child instantly.
Even if you’re child isn’t speaking on age- level yet, using ASL signs will help your child communicate basic needs and wants to you.
From my experience of raising two deaf boys with cochlear implants, nothing was more heartwarming than when my children could finally express to me what they wanted to eat for their meals!
That communication marked a big step in the process of speech and signing goals!
You will get there as well. And I hope you will consider using sign language to be a part of your communication goals for your child.
In this article, we will dive into the specific advantages of sign language. It will help you see why learning sign language with your kids can be worthwhile!
Advantages of Sign Language
There are many advantages of sign language use with kids. From better communication to improved literacy, and even helping the development of spoken speech!
Even kids who have cochlear implants or hearing aids can benefit from the use of some American Sign Language (ASL).
You don’t need to know the full language of ASL, either, to start communicating with signs.
It may seem like an unconventional approach, especially if you are a hearing parent who has never been exposed to sign language before.
However, sign language can actually be incredibly beneficial for both you and your child.
Sign Language Increases Communication
One of the main ways that sign language is useful for families is increasing the communication with your child.
Often when a child has hearing loss, it results in being behind their “age group” in spoken language. This is simply because your child with hearing loss was not able to hear speech sounds at a crucial time when babies and toddlers develop spoken language.
That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for your kids to learn spoken language! On the contrary, with regular speech therapy practice your child can absoultely learn spoken speech.
However, using sign language while you and your child are working on speech goals can be beneficial to early communication skills.
By using ASL, you and your child can communicate without having to rely solely on spoken language.
I can’t tell you how helpful it was for me to teach my boys ASL signs when they were babies.
During the baby and toddler years, my boys were very behind on spoken speech as a result of their hearing loss from birth. However, they had the wants and desires that were appropriate for their ages.
This led to lots of frusteration and crying (from me and them!) because they knew what they wanted, but they didn’t have a way to communicate it to me.
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When I started teaching them signs, I realized that my children learned the signs very quickly. They were also eager to use the signs as they realized that they could more easily get what they wanted by using sign language as communication.
Even today as their speech is improving, we still use signs when my kids are across a noisy room from me. We also use sign language when they have their cochlear processsors off during bath time and before bed time.
It’s honestly a big relief to know that even if their processors are off or lost, we can still communicate with each other!
Improved Literacy
Increased communication is not the only benefit to learning sign language. Improved literacy (learning how to read) is also a core advantage of sign language.
Research has shown that using sign language as a second language can actually improve your child’s overall literacy skills. Specifically, it could boost their reading levels a bit.
In fact, studies found that children who learn and use sign language tend to have better reading comprehension and vocabulary skills compared to their non- signing peers.
Another interesting fact is that learning how to fingerspell can also help a child who struggles with spelling words become a better speller!
So not only is learning sign language a fun and unique skill to have, but it can also have some pretty significant benefits for your child’s academic abilities.
A Sense of Community
If you’re looking to connect with others and be a part of something bigger, consider learning and using American Sign Language (ASL).
By doing so, you not only gain the ability to communicate with deaf individuals, but you also become a part of a vibrant and diverse community.
This community includes those who are deaf, their families, and ASL interpreters.
By immersing yourself in this environment, you’ll not only learn more about deaf culture and the language itself, but you’ll also develop a support system for you and your child.
Being a part of a community is so important, and ASL provides a unique and wonderful opportunity to do just that.
Learning ASL Builds Stronger Bonds
Overall, learning and using ASL with your child can create special bonding moments.
By communicating with your child through sign language, you are learning a new language with them. This will help you grow closer together.
I know that I felt closer to my kids when I was able to start signing with them. Just being able to understand what they actually wanted or needed turned every day life from constant crying to simple communication through signs.
And let’s be honest, isn’t it amazing to see your child’s face light up when they successfully sign something back to you?
It’s also a great way to designate focused interaction time and create a space for undivided attention.
More Opportunities in Life
There’s no denying that having more opportunities in life can be a game changer.
And one of the best ways to open up additional doors is by teaching your child American Sign Language.
It might seem like a small thing, but being able to communicate in a new way can make a big difference.
Suddenly, your child can interact with a whole new group of people and participate in activities that might not have been accessible before.
Plus, they’ll have the chance to build deeper connections with those around them.
Learning ASL can have a significant impact on the lives of both children with hearing loss and their parents.
From increasing communication skills to building stronger bonds, the advantages of sign language are clear.
As a parent, it may be intimidating to learn a new language, but the benefits are worth the effort.
Don’t forget to sign up to Teach Your Kids How to Sign! Easily and quickly learn basic signs to start communicating with your child right away!
More Sign Language Resources
3 Practical Tips to Learn How to Sign Without Adding More to Your Day
Learning How to Sign With Your Kids
