No, baby sign language does not delay speech. Research consistently shows that teaching babies to sign either has no effect on speech development timing or actually accelerates verbal communication. A landmark study from the University of California found that babies who learned to sign spoke their first words at the same age as non-signers, and by age two, many had larger vocabularies than their peers who never signed. The persistent myth that signing delays speech likely stems from a misunderstanding: parents sometimes notice their baby prefers signing to talking temporarily, but this preference phase passes quickly and does not indicate any developmental delay. The concern is understandable.
When a 14-month-old signs “more” instead of saying it, parents may wonder if they’ve given their child an easy alternative that removes motivation to speak. But this logic misunderstands how language acquisition works. Signing doesn’t replace the drive to talk””it actually reinforces language pathways in the brain that support eventual speech. Consider a child who signs “dog” every time the family pet walks by. That child is practicing symbolic communication, associating a concept with a gesture, exactly the cognitive skill that underlies verbal language. This article examines what the research actually shows, explains why the delay myth persists, and offers guidance for parents who want to use signing without worry.
Table of Contents
- Does Baby Sign Language Delay Speech Development in Infants?
- Why the Speech Delay Myth Persists Among Parents and Pediatricians
- How Signing Actually Supports Early Language Development
- Practical Guidelines for Teaching Signs Without Worry
- When to Be Concerned About Speech Development (Regardless of Signing)
- Bilingual Families and Sign Language: Double Benefit, No Double Delay
- The Long-Term Outlook: What Happens to Signing Babies as They Grow
- Conclusion
Does Baby Sign Language Delay Speech Development in Infants?
The most frequently cited research on this question comes from Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, developmental psychologists who tracked signing and non-signing babies over several years. Their findings were clear: at 24 months, babies who had been taught symbolic gestures scored higher on standardized language assessments than babies in the control group. By age three, the signing babies were speaking at the level of non-signing four-year-olds. These results have been replicated in various forms across multiple studies, though the magnitude of the advantage varies. What makes this research compelling is its longitudinal design. Critics of baby sign language sometimes point to the temporary period””often between 12 and 18 months””when a signing baby may use gestures more than words. But tracking children over years reveals this phase as a stepping stone, not a plateau.
The signing baby isn’t avoiding speech; they’re building a foundation of symbolic thinking that transfers directly to verbal communication. A baby who learns that the sign for “milk” gets them fed understands that symbols carry meaning. That understanding doesn’t disappear when they discover their voice produces results too. However, comparing different studies requires some caution. Not all research shows dramatic advantages for signing babies. Some studies find no significant difference in speech outcomes between signers and non-signers””but crucially, none show signing causing delays. The variation in findings often relates to methodology: how consistently parents signed, what age instruction began, and how outcomes were measured. The consistent finding across research is that signing does no harm and often helps.
Why the Speech Delay Myth Persists Among Parents and Pediatricians
The myth has staying power for several reasons, some psychological and some observational. Parents and even some pediatricians witness something real: a baby who signs fluently but speaks little. This snapshot in time creates a false impression of causation. If my neighbor’s kid talks at 12 months and my signing baby doesn’t talk until 15 months, the signing seems like the obvious culprit. But individual variation in speech onset is enormous regardless of signing. Some babies talk early; some talk late. Signing happens to be visible in a way that other factors aren’t. There’s also a conceptual trap.
Adults often think of language as a zero-sum resource””time spent signing is time not spent talking. But infant brains don’t work this way. Babies aren’t choosing between signing and speaking like adults choosing between Spanish and French in a conversation. They’re developing the underlying capacity for symbolic communication, and signing contributes to that development rather than competing with it. A baby practicing signs is not a baby neglecting speech; they’re a baby exercising their emerging language brain. If your pediatrician expresses concern about signing, ask what specific research they’re citing. Many pediatricians received their training before the major baby sign language studies were published, and some hold outdated views. However, if your child shows other signs of speech delay””limited babbling, lack of response to their name, no attempt at verbal communication by 16 months””address those concerns independently. Signing didn’t cause the delay, but it also won’t automatically fix underlying issues that warrant evaluation.
How Signing Actually Supports Early Language Development
Signing works as a bridge technology. Babies develop fine motor control of their hands before they develop the oral motor control needed for speech. A 10-month-old can approximate the sign for “eat” long before their mouth and tongue can form the word. This gap explains why signing doesn’t replace speech””it precedes it developmentally. Once speech becomes possible, children generally prefer it because speaking is faster and adults respond to it more enthusiastically. The bridge metaphor extends further. When a baby signs “ball” and a parent responds by saying “Yes, that’s a ball! You want the ball?”””the child hears the word repeatedly in direct connection with the concept they’ve just expressed. This feedback loop accelerates vocabulary acquisition because the child’s attention is focused.
They initiated the communication, so they’re engaged when the response comes. Compare this to a parent pointing at a ball and saying “ball” to an infant who may or may not be paying attention. The signing child creates learning moments; the non-signing child waits for them. A specific example illustrates this dynamic. Imagine a 13-month-old at the zoo who signs “bird” when she sees a flamingo. Her mother says, “Yes! A bird. That’s a flamingo. A pink bird.” The child has just learned “flamingo” in a context of high interest and engagement that she created herself. Without signing, that same child might point and fuss while her mother guesses: “The water? The people? Are you hungry?” The learning moment dissolves in mutual frustration.
Practical Guidelines for Teaching Signs Without Worry
Start with signs for things your baby already cares about: milk, more, eat, water, mom, dad, dog, cat, ball. These high-frequency concepts give your baby immediate reasons to sign and give you many natural opportunities to model the signs. Avoid the temptation to teach a large vocabulary quickly””a handful of useful signs beats twenty signs the baby never uses. Consistency matters more than quantity. Sign the word every time you say it, even when you’re tired or distracted. Babies need repetition to learn, and sporadic signing sends confusing signals. If you sign “milk” sometimes but not others, your baby takes longer to grasp that the gesture means something specific.
That said, don’t stress about perfection. Babies develop their own approximations of signs just as they develop their own approximations of words. Accept “close enough” and respond enthusiastically. There’s a tradeoff between signing programs and informal approaches. Structured programs offer curricula, teaching videos, and communities of other signing families. They also cost money and can feel overwhelming. Informal approaches””learning a few signs from free online resources and using them consistently””cost nothing but require more self-direction. Research doesn’t show that formal programs produce better outcomes than informal signing; the key variable is consistent use, not the teaching method.
When to Be Concerned About Speech Development (Regardless of Signing)
Signing can sometimes mask concerns that would otherwise be obvious. If your 18-month-old signs 40 words but speaks none, the impressive sign vocabulary might distract from the fact that zero spoken words at 18 months warrants evaluation. The signs demonstrate that your child understands symbolic communication and has concepts to express””both good signs. But the absence of any speech production might indicate oral motor issues, hearing problems, or other conditions unrelated to signing. Watch for red flags independent of signing milestones: no babbling by 12 months, no response to their name by 12 months, loss of previously acquired words or signs at any age, no pointing or gesturing by 14 months, no two-word spoken phrases by 24 months. These concerns apply equally to signing and non-signing children. If you notice them, seek evaluation from a speech-language pathologist.
Early intervention produces dramatically better outcomes than waiting to see if problems resolve on their own. A common mistake is assuming that signing is either a cause of or solution to all speech differences. It’s neither. Signing is one tool among many for communication development. A child with apraxia of speech benefits from signing as an alternative communication method, but signing won’t cure the apraxia. A child who’s simply a late talker in the normal range benefits from signing as a frustration reducer, and they’ll talk when they’re ready. Know what signing can and cannot do.
Bilingual Families and Sign Language: Double Benefit, No Double Delay
Parents in bilingual households sometimes worry that adding sign language creates a “trilingual” situation that overwhelms the child. Research on bilingual development shows that children can handle multiple languages without delay, and adding signs follows the same pattern. In fact, signing may help bilingual babies by providing a consistent symbol across both spoken languages. The sign for “water” remains the same whether the family is speaking English or Spanish in that moment.
One family’s experience demonstrates this. Their daughter heard English from her mother, Mandarin from her father, and learned about 20 signs starting at eight months. By age two, she spoke both English and Mandarin at age-appropriate levels and had long since stopped signing regularly. Her parents reported that signs reduced frustration during the period when she was sorting out which language to use with which person. The sign for “help” worked universally, regardless of which language her overwhelmed toddler brain was attempting.
The Long-Term Outlook: What Happens to Signing Babies as They Grow
Most signing babies drop signs naturally between 18 and 24 months as speech becomes easier and more efficient. A few retain interest in sign language itself and may enjoy learning more formal ASL later. There’s no evidence that early baby sign language exposure creates any long-term differences in speech, language, or communication””positive or negative. By kindergarten, you cannot distinguish children who signed as babies from those who didn’t by their speech or language abilities.
What some parents report is a long-term difference in communication culture. Families that signed often describe ongoing comfort with discussing feelings, asking for help, and expressing needs directly. Whether this reflects something about signing itself or something about the type of parent who teaches signing is unclear. Either way, the picture that emerges is positive: signing babies become normally speaking children, sometimes with a slight early advantage, and no measurable downside.
Conclusion
The evidence is clear and consistent: baby sign language does not delay speech. Babies who learn signs speak at the same time as or earlier than their non-signing peers, develop vocabulary at normal or accelerated rates, and show no negative effects from early signing exposure. The myth persists because of observable but misinterpreted phenomena””signing babies temporarily preferring signs to speech””and because adults intuitively but incorrectly think of language capacity as finite. Parents interested in signing with their babies can proceed confidently.
Focus on a small number of high-utility signs, use them consistently, and respond enthusiastically when your baby signs back. Monitor your child’s speech development using the same milestones you would apply to any child, and seek evaluation if concerns arise. Signing is a tool for reducing frustration and building communication””it’s not a risk factor for delay and not a magic guarantee of advancement. Used sensibly, it makes the pre-verbal months easier for everyone.