We are now guest posting!

While I continue to have crazy stories about Lil and our signing together, today's post is about my guest blog piece for PlayingWithWords365. Katie is a fellow speech-language pathologist who sees the value in ASL and is using it with her own children!
Check out The Benefits of Using Sign Language! on www.PlayingWithWords365.com


Happy Signing!
~HearMyHands

HURT - another sign I wish Lil knew

Last week, Little Fingers (a.k.a "Lil") had a bad diaper rash. For being almost 10 months old, I can tell you she's only gotten one other rash to this degree! She was mighty upset to say the least. As she laid there screaming and crying, I thought, "I wish she knew the sign HURT." If we knew ahead of time just how severe the rash was before going in there and trying to help we might have tried something different (e.g. put her right in a luke warm tub - anything but what she was going through). Our hearts HURT watching her. My husband, father, and I all tried to calm her down, distract her and get the diaper changing job done as quickly as possible!

We've surpassed the rash but it's definitely a sign on our list!

Sign: HURT
courtesy of Sign2Me
HURT is a 'directional sign'! What does that mean?
When your head hurts, move the sign to your head! When you
have a sore throat, move the sign to your throat area!
See - Learn something new every day!

Check out Sign2Me(r) products (and other products) on our Amazon Store!

Signing & Apraxia: Why should you use ASL?

Why Sign Language is Beneficial for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

            Sign language has shown to be beneficial for children diagnosed with CAS.  First, what is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

-       CAS is a motor speech disorder. Therefore it’s important to understand the component of the brain that is negatively impacted – the motor strip area.

-       Motor planning is difficult. What’s that mean? Coordinating movements of the jaw, tongue, lips, and palate can be challenging.

-       Difficulties happen when the brain tries to tell the mouth how to move, and how to achieve sounds, words, sentences, etc. The brain knows what it wants to say but can’t relay that message to the mouth (lips, tongue, palate) effectively.

It’s important to stress the motor planning component of CAS because I truly believe sign language can help children with CAS because of the motor planning skills that are used in sign language!

Motor planning in layman’s terms examples:

1.                    Think about brushing your teeth. Think about which hand you use. Think about how you brush your teeth. You don’t typically change the hand you use to brush your teeth. You don’t typically change the set of teeth you brush first (top/bottom).  You don’t necessarily have to look in the mirror and concentrate while brushing your teeth. 

2.                    Think about texting on the old fashion flip phones. Think about how quick you got at texting and perhaps you didn’t even have to look at the keyboard!

THESE are SUCESSSES we have on a DAILY basis because of our ability to MOTOR PLAN!

Again, children with CAS struggle planning the speech movements to communicate effectively. 

Sign Language can be used to:

1. Reduce Frustration
2. Provide Symbolic Communication (the signs mean something)
3.  Increase Expressive Communication
4. Relieves Pressure to Verbally Communicate and Allows for More Focus on Academics
5. Positive and Successful Communication Attempts
6. Better Control of Rate of Speech for Both Adults and Children (when signing individuals tend to slow down to allow for simultaneous verbal and sign communication)
7. Provides Visual Cues
8. REINFORCES MOTOR PLANNING!

Sign Language will not limit their speech attempts or increase their difficulties verbalizing. The first fear is that a speech therapist is going to put speech therapy (training, drills, etc.) on the back burner and focus on sign language. It’s important to note – sign language is an awesome supplement!

Check out other resources that express the positive change ASL can have in your life

Signing Time explaining Benefits

Sign2Me explaining Benefits

www.apraxia-kids.org

For great sign language products to help you along the way, check out our  Amazon Store!

Don’t see what you want? Email me! hearmyhandsllc@gmail.com

We'd love to hear your success stories with CAS and ASL! And if you don't have one, this is the year to create one!

Signing Time Sign of the Week

Book. Sign for Book
Check out last week's sign of the week if you missed it on my Facebook page. Facebook HearMyHands
Book. So what book have you read using sign language? Or - what book do you wish you could read with a little sign?

Here's an added bonus you won't find from last week's Facebook post.

Tips when Signing and Reading:

1. Add signs to favorite books, especially ones read over and over again. Don't ever stress about signing the whole book -that's not practical :)!
2. Books with a single picture or word per page allow the baby to focus on just one sign at a time.  Try simple baby vocabulary books.
3. Repetitive books allow you, the signer, to use the same sign (or signs) again and again.  Try the Five Little Monkeys, Brown Bear, or Goodnight Moon.
4. Make your own books with signs from the included sign dictionary (photocopy or from a computer), or take photographs of the baby signing his/ her first signs. Match them with photographs or clip art that represent the sign.  Insert them into small photo albums and read together.
5. Make books with photos taken during outings, including walks, zoos, farms, playgrounds, and friends’ or relatives’ houses. When you look through them, use the signs of the animals from the zoo or farm, or family signs such as sister, brother.
6. And Don't Forget - Have fun!

~ HearMyHands