Auslan – Baby Sign Language Classes

KWS vs other communication tools

Meg — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 03:36:49 +0000

In my last post, I discussed what Key Word Sign is and how it compares to Auslan. You can read it here if you missed it. Today, I am going to unpack KWS and how it compares to other AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tools, specifically communication lanyards and high-tech devices. Each of the different tools available have benefits and limitations. Using my professional knowledge…

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What is the difference between Auslan and KWS?

Meg — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 03:49:16 +0000

I’ve recently had a number of childcare services contact me and ask if I offer Auslan sessions. Which always makes me laugh because I can’t give a straight yes-no answer. There is more to it than that. To tackle this topic once and for all, I thought I’d write a blog about it, so here we are. What is Auslan? Auslan, or Australian Sign Language, is the language of the Australian Deaf community.

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How KWS Empowers and Protects Young Children with Disability

Meg — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:15:22 +0000

The first three years of a child’s life are a critical window for language development. During this time, a child’s brain is growing rapidly, laying the foundation for lifelong communication, learning, and social connection. But for some children with disability, spoken language may emerge later—or not at all. That’s where Key Word Sign can make a huge difference. Key Word Sign is a…

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The #1 mistake people make when starting out…

Max — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:50:24 +0000

You were at a barbeque, pre-kids, and Matt & Sarah are telling you how they are using sign language to communicate with their baby. It peaks your interest, you think that’s pretty cool, so you park it in your head for later. Then, baby comes along. You decide it’s time to do a bit of Googling, so you type: baby sign language or infants and sign language. You are pleasantly surprised by the huge…

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Signing for autism – easy & empowering

Max — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 06:55:01 +0000

Language and communication difficulties are a defining feature of autism, though the severity and details vary from child to child. For 30% of children with autism though, speech difficulties are severe and even non-verbal (You can read the research here). It’s really important that we don’t assume that because someone cannot express themselves verbally, that they have no capacity or desire to.

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How does sign language help infants?

Max — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 06:07:16 +0000

As a teacher and a mum, I’m very passionate about supporting language development. (You can read why on my blog – Why the focus on language? It’s the foundation of learning.) And language development starts WAY before infants begin to speak. In fact, language development begins while a baby is still in the womb. They are developing neural pathways in the brain when they listen to their mother and…

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Auslan vs. Baby Sign Language

Max — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:29:47 +0000

As an Auslan interpreter I’m in the incredibly privileged position to have a deep understanding of Auslan, a skill that I use when teaching families to sign with their babies. However, often I hear people use Auslan and baby sign language interchangeably, but they are actually quite different. Firstly, let’s look at Auslan – Australian Sign Language. It’s the language of the Australia Deaf…

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