Infant signing is the intentional use of specific gestures to promote bidirectional communication with preverbal children, primarily those with typical hearing. It is used as an educational tool in early childhood education settings, and as a parenting practice. It is built on children’s natural tendencies to communicate with their hands prior to oral words. Infant signing promotes children’s early language development, gives children a way to actively participate in care routines and behavior regulation, reduces frustration of children and caregivers, and promotes caregivers’ responsiveness to children’s cues.

Bridging the Infant/Toddler Language Gap

Infant signing is a supplemental and temporary communication tool used with children for whom communication is currently a challenge. This includes both typically developing preverbal children and those with communication delays. Because receptive language (comprehension) ...

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