Does Baby Sign Language Help Speech Development

Baby sign language does help speech development, and decades of research support this conclusion.
Answers to the most common parent and educator questions about baby sign language and toddler ASL – when to start, when to stop, whether it delays speech, how to handle resistance, and what to do when signs do not stick. Practical, evidence-based guidance.

Baby sign language does help speech development, and decades of research support this conclusion.

No, baby sign language does not delay speech. Research consistently shows that teaching babies to sign either has no effect on speech development timing...

Yes, baby sign language is worth the effort for most families. Research consistently shows that teaching simple signs to preverbal infants reduces...

The best age to start baby sign language is between 6 and 9 months old. At this stage, most infants have developed enough motor control to begin imitating...

Most babies are ready to begin learning sign language between 6 and 9 months of age, though you can start introducing signs even earlier.