You cannot assume an unlabeled baby sign resource teaches American Sign Language, or ASL. It may use standard ASL signs, modified signs, invented gestures, or a mixture. ASL is a complete natural language with its own grammar, not simply a collection of hand motions. To identify a resource accurately, examine its stated purpose, sign sources, teaching scope, and handling of variation.
Table of Contents
- Why "baby sign" does not necessarily mean ASL
- Look at what the resource promises
- Do not treat every difference as an invented sign
- How to classify an unclear resource
- When the distinction matters most
Why "baby sign" does not necessarily mean ASL
"Baby sign" usually describes using gestures with babies before they can express the same ideas through speech. The label alone does not identify where those gestures came from. For example, the Baby Signs® FAQ says its program combines asl signs with signs created by babies and parents.
Its May 2024 information packet says about 90% of its recommended signs are ASL, sometimes modified for babies, while 10% are not ASL. That makes the program ASL-based, but not the same as ASL instruction. A product can contain many genuine ASL signs while also teaching altered or invented gestures.
Look at what the resource promises
Read the resource's description before judging individual demonstrations. A resource can reasonably call itself ASL-focused when it expressly teaches American sign language as a language. For example, Signing Time's classroom site identifies its subject as ASL.
By contrast, a resource framed only as a temporary communication bridge to speech is better described as baby signing or gesture instruction. That description remains appropriate unless the provider documents broader language teaching. Watch for clear answers to these questions: A vague claim such as "based on sign language" does not establish that every gesture is ASL.
- Does it explicitly say it teaches ASL?
- Does it identify which gestures are ASL and which are modified or invented?
- Does it teach facial movements and language structure, not just vocabulary?
- Does it present signing as a language or only as a short-term communication tool?
- Does it explain who created or reviewed its demonstrations?
Do not treat every difference as an invented sign
A demonstration that differs from another dictionary, instructor, or video is not automatically wrong. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders notes that ASL includes regional accents, dialects, and variation in the signs people use. First compare several ASL-focused references.
Consider whether the difference involves handshape, location, movement, facial expression, or regional usage. Modification is another possibility. A baby resource may simplify a sign because infants are still developing motor control. The provider should label that choice instead of presenting the altered gesture as the only ASL form.
How to classify an unclear resource
Start with the resource's own wording, then check a sample of its vocabulary. You do not need to prove the origin of every gesture before deciding how much confidence to place in it.
Use this practical classification: If the provider does not distinguish standard, modified, and invented signs, treat the resource as general baby signing. You can still use a helpful gesture at home, but avoid telling others that it is ASL without verification.
- "ASL instruction" when the resource expressly teaches ASL as a language.
- "ASL vocabulary" when it teaches documented ASL signs without broader language instruction.
- "ASL-based baby signing" when it mixes ASL with simplified or original gestures and labels them clearly.
- "Baby signing" or "gesture instruction" when its sources and language claims are unclear.
When the distinction matters most
For a hearing baby, a small gesture system may serve a limited practical goal, such as requesting milk or signaling "all done." Evidence indicates that hearing infants can learn ASL signs from instructional video, but a systematic review found no robust evidence of lasting improvements in communication, speech, cognition, or caregiver outcomes. That review did not assess children with developmental concerns. Baby signing also should not be presented as a replacement for speech therapy or early intervention.
Baby Signs® expressly says its program is not a substitute for those services, ASL instruction, or Deaf education. For a Deaf or hard-of-hearing child, accurate language access is the central issue. NIH advises exposure to spoken or signed language as early as possible, and describes ASL as a natural language used by many Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in North America. Families in that situation should not rely on an unlabeled collection of temporary gestures as though it were full ASL language instruction.