Baby sign language is simple hand signs that hearing infants use to share needs before they can speak clearly. Start around 6–7 months, keep talking while you sign, and expect signing to support — not delay — early communication. This FAQ covers starting age, speech effects, daily use, and therapy use. It helps parents decide how to add a few signs to talking, reading, and singing.
Table of Contents
- When Can Babies Start Signing?
- Will Signing Delay Spoken Language?
- How Does Signing Help Daily Communication?
- How Do Therapists Use Signs for Speech Delays?
- When Are Baby Signs Not Enough?
When Can Babies Start Signing?
Babies can begin learning around 6–7 months with regular exposure. They often use signs effectively by about 8–9 months. Hand control develops before speech muscles, reports PsychCentral, citing ASL interpreter Joseph Garcia research, in its baby sign language overview.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association advises parents to teach signs alongside talking, reading, and singing. Start with functional signs such as eat, drink, more, and bye-bye. Always say the word aloud while signing, recommends the Association in its Baby Signs and Your Child handout.
- Pick one daily routine, such as meals, and use the same sign each time
- Say the word clearly while you make the sign
- Pause, watch, and reward any try with attention and the object
Will Signing Delay Spoken Language?
Signing does not delay spoken language. Longitudinal research by Acredolo and Goodwyn found signing toddlers had larger spoken vocabularies at 24 months than non-signers. Those toddlers also used longer sentences, reports the Gallaudet University Press excerpt of Parents' Guide to Baby Signs in its research summary.
Acceleration claims still have limits. A controlled University of Hertfordshire study followed 40 infants from 8 to 20 months. Gesture-trained babies did not differ from controls on language outcomes, reports ScienceDaily on the Child Development paper in its 2012 study report. Treat signs as support for communication, not a shortcut to faster speech.
How Does Signing Help Daily Communication?
Baby signs give pre-verbal hearing infants a bridge to share needs earlier. Families in Acredolo and Goodwyn research, summarized by LifePrint/ASL101, report less frustration and fewer tantrums. Parents also report more bonding and more tries to communicate.
Use signs for needs you meet many times each day. Offer milk, more, or up before crying starts. Answer the sign right away so the child links hand, word, and result.
How Do Therapists Use Signs for Speech Delays?
Speech therapists routinely use basic signs such as more, all done, and help. Expressable, in a guide by SLP Abby Barnes, describes accepting approximate handshapes. The goal is to reward any attempt.
Therapists pair the sign with the spoken word every time. They let the child lead with hands while speech develops. Parents can copy this pattern at home by praising tries and naming the word again.
When Are Baby Signs Not Enough?
Baby signs and single gestures are not a full language. ASHA Perspectives states they must not replace access to a complete accessible language for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. That distinction matters for children who cannot fully access speech.
For hearing babies, keep speaking because most say first meaningful words around 12 months, such as mama and dada, notes ParentUne summarizing CDC milestones. Children naturally drop signs as spoken words take over. Keep saying the word aloud while you sign, then let the sign fade once the word is clear.