Let’s put our microscope on the number 1 myth that I would like to debunk today is that…

Signing will delay speech.

This simply is not true and I don’t even know where it came from, but it’s something I hear time and time again.

Let it be know – Key word signing with a child WILL NOT delay their speech. 

The only conclusion that I can make about where this myth came from is anecdotal stories about children who signed, but then their language was delayed. The other fact is that there is not robust research into the benefit of signing for typically developing children. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t help – just that there is no research (hopefully I can change that one day… stay tuned!). There is however a plethora of research into how signing supports children with disabilities and specifically language delays.

For a child who signs AND has delayed speech. It is most likely that they are still benefitting from signing as they have a means of communicating in the absence of speech. How frustrating it must be for our little people who have so much to say, but no way of saying it.

Here’s what I know about signing with pre- and non-verbal children: it helps them communicate with the people around them.

Here’s what I know about language development: when children communicate and connect with the people around them, they are more motivated to continue to communicate and this positive feedback loop will support more communication and language development.

If we combine these two knowledges: signing supports communicate and positive communication experiences supports language development – then we can conclude that signing supports language development.

If you’ve achieved nothing else today, you can now say that you learned something new. Signing WILL NOT delay speech and in fact is supportive of communication and language development for children of all ages!

Happy signing :)

– Meg –