Children with Down syndrome understand language more quickly when signs accompany the words. For sign language to have meaning and be powerful to your child, it is essential everyone who is important in your child's life knows the signs that your child is using and understands. Your child may get confused or discouraged if people do not understand what he means when he signs. There are lots of resources available to help parents learn and use sign language to augment their child's communication. Libraries have a lot of information on sign language or you can order books to build a library of your own.
Sign language can be an enjoyable way of communicating for the whole family.
We take pictures of people, toys, and familiar objects and mount them on half pages of construction paper along with a picture of the sign we use, the name of the object, and, in some cases, a picture symbol. The first edition of Colin's sign book included Mom, Dad, brother Thomas, favorite foods, and friends. Colin loves to look at this book. When he reads it with friends, babysitters, and relatives, they learn the signs too. He will sit down with the book and read it by signing and saying some of the words as he turns the pages.