Frequently Asked Questions

Since the publication of the first Baby Signs® book, many people have asked how using the Baby Signs® Program relates to American Sign Language, the official language of the deaf community. The simple answer is that the Baby Signs® Program incorporates the most useful, "baby-friendly" signs from American Sign Language. It combines them with signs babies and parents have created and found particularly useful.

When we first began our Baby Signs® Research, we feared that parents of hearing babies would find ASL too overwhelming to learn in the short time their baby would use signs as a bridge to speech. We also knew that young babies, with their limited motor coordination, could not master many of the complex "hand shapes" of ASL. Since hearing babies using sign language is simply a temporary bridge to speech, our goal has always been to do what is easiest for babies and their parents. Our focus has not been to teach hearing babies a second language, but to provide them with the signs they can use most easily to express their needs, thoughts, and feelings until they have words. Research has shown that signs are easiest for babies and for parents when they involve simple gestures and when they resemble the things they stand for (e.g., fingers to lips for "eat," arms out straight like wings for "airplane"). The signs featured in our books and products, whether from American Sign Language or not, have been selected based on what has worked best for babies and their parents.

In revising the Baby Signs® Dictionary, we asked parents to help us make a list of 100 things that their babies need and want to "talk" about. Using our knowledge of babies' motor development and the advice of our colleagues, we carefully evaluated the motor complexity of the ASL sign for each concept. As a result, our Baby Signs® Dictionary now includes many ASL signs that both express important concepts and are easy enough for babies to do. In many cases, the Baby Signs® Dictionary includes multiple sign suggestions, so you can choose which works best for your baby. The Baby Signs® Dictionary can be found in the revised edition of our book, Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk.

We strongly support the importance of American Sign Language for the deaf community, and certainly understand its value for hearing children communicating with deaf relatives or friends. Other parents of hearing babies may opt for signs primarily from American Sign Language should they wish to teach their children this vital and rich language. By clearly indicating in the revised Dictionary which Baby Signs® are also ASL signs, we provide all families with an easy way to get started on the road to successful communication.

Most important, however, is doing what works most easily and joyfully for your family. Using the Baby Signs® Program is about communication, understanding, and intimacy between you and your baby. In the end, whatever signs you use, you are opening the world to your baby and your baby's world to you.

The Baby Signs® Program was created for hearing babies and their caregivers as a way to support communication before babies can talk clearly. It teaches simple, baby-friendly signs that families can use along with spoken words during everyday routines.

That said, signs can be helpful for many children and families. Some parents, educators, and professionals also use signs to support children with speech delays, communication differences, or developmental needs. In those situations, families should work with their child’s pediatrician, speech-language pathologist, early intervention provider, or other qualified professional for individualized guidance.

The Baby Signs® Program is not a substitute for American Sign Language instruction, Deaf education, speech therapy, or early intervention services. It is a research-based early communication program designed to help babies and toddlers express needs, interests, and ideas before speech is fully developed.