Let's talk sign language

While we all communicate using signs, some more codified than others, from birth, sign language was long relegated to the background in communication. Banned in 1880, it took nearly 100 years to revive before being recognized as a language in its own right in 2005. Today, there is still progress to be made for better communication and understanding between deaf and hard-of-hearing people in France and around the world, but we are on the right track.

I sign to express myself

Sign language (LSF) is a language in its own right, with its own syntax, grammar, and vocabulary. Children communicate using sign language before they can speak. Babies develop the muscle strength in their hands and arms to produce signs before they can speak, which is very encouraging and allows them to establish an effective mode of communication before language develops.
In the 1980s, Joseph Garcia, a specialist in American Sign Language, observed that children growing up in families where at least one parent was deaf communicated much earlier than their peers of the same age from hearing families. At the same time, Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn of the University of California demonstrated that children who cannot yet speak spontaneously and naturally use gestures to communicate. They developed a set of signs for babies.

What methods can be used to support families affected by deafness?

The concept Sign with me This program engages adults close to young children, including siblings, with hearing and hard-of-hearing children, and more generally, children whose language development is challenging. It allows them to quickly acquire a broad vocabulary to express themselves and be better understood by those around them while they are learning to speak. Before they can speak, children can communicate their emotions, feelings, needs, and desires to others (I am sad, I am hungry, thirsty, sleepy, hot/cold, tired, angry, in pain, I like/dislike, I need a diaper change, I need a hug, I would like to play). They can interact with the world around them (I want to participate, I'm finished! It's my/your turn).

This method allows for calmer and more respectful communication. The frequency and intensity of frustrations decrease for both the child and the adult, relationships become more peaceful, and episodes of tantrums and anger diminish. French Sign Language (LSF) establishes a valuable bond between parent and child by encouraging a love of communication.

Expressing oneself differently for adults

There are other interesting methods and tools, such as emotion color charts or sliders, cards and memos, or drawing, that allow older children to express their experiences and feelings in different ways. The range of options expands with the experiences of professionals and parents who are convinced of the importance of participating in children's harmonious development, encouraging them to discover themselves and the world, and providing them with learning tools.

Our articles on the same topic

• Baby's first social interactions
• Emotions in children