Remembering Dr. Linda Acredolo
Co-Founder of the Baby Signs® Program
With deep sadness and profound gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Linda Acredolo, co-founder of the Baby Signs® Program and a pioneer in the field of early communication.
Dr. Acredolo’s work helped change the way parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals understand babies. Through her research, vision, and dedication, she helped show the world that babies have so much to say long before they can talk.
Her impact lives on in the families she helped, the professionals she inspired, and the generations of children who have been given the gift of early communication.
A Legacy of Respect, Connection, and Communication
Dr. Linda Acredolo’s work began with a simple but powerful idea: babies are capable of meaningful communication before spoken language develops.
Together with Dr. Susan Goodwyn, Dr. Acredolo helped bring this idea to families around the world through the Baby Signs® Program. Their research and teaching gave parents and caregivers a way to better understand babies’ needs, feelings, interests, and discoveries.
The Baby Signs® Program has always been about more than signs. It is about connection. It is about reducing frustration. It is about honoring babies as capable communicators and helping adults respond with greater understanding, respect, and joy.
Dr. Acredolo’s contributions have touched families, educators, early intervention professionals, speech-language professionals, childcare providers, and instructors across many countries. Her work will continue to guide and inspire all of us who carry the Baby Signs® Program forward.
A Personal Note from the Baby Signs® Family
For those of us who have had the privilege of working with the Baby Signs® Program, Dr. Acredolo’s influence is deeply personal.
Her research gave the program its foundation, but her warmth, insight, and belief in babies gave it its heart. She helped create something that has changed the daily lives of countless families, giving parents and babies a way to understand one another during one of the most important stages of development.
We are heartbroken by her passing, and we are also deeply grateful. Grateful for her work. Grateful for her vision. Grateful for the trust she placed in those of us continuing to share the Baby Signs® Program with families, instructors, educators, and communities.
As we grieve, we also recommit ourselves to honoring her legacy by continuing the work she helped begin.
A Shared Vision
Together with Dr. Susan Goodwyn, Dr. Acredolo helped bring the Baby Signs® Program to families around the world. Their research, teaching, and shared commitment to early communication changed how countless parents, caregivers, and professionals understand babies’ ability to communicate before they can talk.
The Research That Changed How Families Communicate
The Baby Signs® Program grew from years of research into what babies can understand and communicate before they are able to speak. Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn helped show that babies are not simply waiting for language to begin. They are already observing, learning, connecting, and trying to share what they know.
Their work helped families, caregivers, and professionals see babies with new respect: as capable communicators with thoughts, feelings, needs, and discoveries to express.
Learn More About Dr. Linda Acredolo
Linda's family has published her official obituary, celebrating her remarkable life, career, and the many people she touched. If you would like to learn more about her life, leave a condolence for her family, or view memorial service information, please visit her official obituary.
Dr. Linda Potter Acredolo (1947-2026)
Co-founder of the Baby Signs® Program, pioneering developmental psychologist, researcher, educator, author, and beloved friend whose work transformed early communication for families around the world.
Share a Memory or Message of Condolence
We know that Dr. Acredolo’s work touched people around the world. If you would like to share a memory, message of condolence, or reflection on how the Baby Signs® Program has impacted your family or work, we welcome you to do so.
Messages may be shared with Dr. Acredolo’s family. With your permission, they may also be included on this tribute page or in future memorial materials honoring her life and legacy.
Memories & Reflections
Dr. Linda Acredolo’s work touched families, instructors, professionals, colleagues, and friends around the world. We are honored to share a selection of memories and reflections from those whose lives were impacted by her warmth, research, and vision.
“When I think of the impact Linda’s research has made on my life and my children’s lives, there are no words to express my gratitude. Her impact is immeasurable. Her work gave me, as an overwhelmed single parent, tools to advocate for and communicate with my children. When my daughter couldn’t talk due to a medical issue, she signed. I am grateful that I had the privilege to meet Linda and experience her research firsthand. The world is a better place because she was in it.”
Heather Casey
Baby Signs® Instructor
Fort Dodge, IA
“As a Baby Signs® Early Childhood Education Trainer, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing the vision Linda helped create. The Baby Signs® Program has opened many doors for me to teach families how to communicate more effectively with their babies and has given me the privilege of serving families of children with diverse disabilities. Through her groundbreaking research, compassion, and lifelong dedication, millions of families have been empowered to strengthen their connections with their children during the earliest years of life.”
Diana L. Smith
Independent Certified Instructor and Early Childhood Education Trainer
San Fernando Valley, CA
“I had the pleasure of many direct interactions with Linda. She was supportive and encouraging, and always open to others’ ideas and new information. She was an intellectual and clinical thinker, but also a very kind and pleasant person to spend time with. She cared deeply about the program’s instructors and the families they were supporting. I will always remember her fondly and draw inspiration from her legacy.”
Beth Roland
Former Baby Signs® Instructor
California
“Linda was a role model and an inspiration to many of us. With her discoveries and the creation of the Baby Signs® Program, she changed the lives of millions of people. Her legacy transcended borders and had a profound impact on the way we relate to one another. She promoted respect from the cradle and changed the way thousands of families, including my own, view and live their lives.”
Mariana Blanc M.
Baby Signs® Chile
“I have taught preschool children with special needs for 40 years. The children and parents benefited from sign language. Linda will be remembered by so many people.”
Laurie
Baby Signs® Instructor
Boxford, MA
“Thanks to a friend, I investigated this wonderful program that Dr. Linda Acredolo helped found, and it has made a difference to so many families I have worked with. Thank you, Linda.”
Elaine Langsam
Baby Signs® Instructor
New York, NY
“Although I never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Linda personally, her work will continue to touch so many lives, including my own. The gift she created opened doors for wonderful opportunities, meaningful connections, and tremendous personal and professional growth. I am truly grateful to be part of something that has made such a lasting difference for families, children, and educators around the world.”
Kári
Baby Signs® Instructor
California
“It’s unfathomable how many lives Linda has touched with Baby Signs®. Teaching Baby Signs® has enriched my life for so many years. I’ll always be thankful to Linda and Susan for the research, work, and amazing support they gave to instructors for so many years.”
Tina
Baby Signs® Instructor
Austin, TX
“Linda’s contribution to early communication and to families all over the world has been extraordinary. I feel grateful to be able to continue sharing the Baby Signs® Program in the Czech Republic and Slovakia as part of the legacy she helped create.”
Martina
Baby Signs® Czech Republic and Slovakia
“We are deeply sorry to hear the news about Dr. Acredolo. She truly left a remarkable legacy for all of us, and we hope that her name and contributions will continue to live on through us, our work, and all that she taught us.”
The Croatian Baby Signs® Team
“Dr. Linda Acredolo was an amazing psychologist who had a great impact on the perception of communication with babies. Her legacy will continue to inspire our work.”
Iza
Poland
“A highlight of my life was watching a preschooler make the connection between making the sign for MORE and the teacher actually handing him another piece of banana. He was amazed. I could see the wheels turning: this really works. I had many experiences like that, thanks to Linda and Baby Signs®.”
Pat
“Linda and Susan’s work has had a lasting impact on so many children and families. My heart goes out to her family, and I will always hold her memory dear.”
Kelly Rain Collin, Ed.M.
“I never met her personally, but she changed our family and my son’s life in so many ways.”
Alana Dixson, MD, PhD
"I will always remember Linda not only as a brilliant researcher, but as one of the kindest and warmest people I have ever met.
From the cruise conference in the U.S. to her visit to Japan, traveling together, sharing wonderful meals, and visiting the Baby Signs office in California, every moment with her became a treasured memory. Even though she was admired around the world, she always welcomed my husband and me with genuine warmth and kindness.
Thank you, Linda, for believing in Japan and for helping us become Baby Signs' first international partner. Your vision has touched countless families in Japan, and your legacy will continue to live on through every parent, baby, and instructor whose lives you have inspired."
With love and gratitude,
Michiru Yoshinaka
Japan Baby Signs Association
Managing Director
“Linda will be remembered with so much love. Such a beautiful legacy she left.”
Sabla D’Oliveira
Portugal
"I first discovered the Baby Signs® Program in 2003 when we began signing with our twins. They started signing at just 7.5 months old, and it was absolutely amazing. It changed our lives in ways I never could have imagined.
In 2004, I began working with Linda and Susan, and I had the honor of meeting them in person at a Baby Signs® Conference in Southern California. Linda was always so warm, caring, and welcoming. I’m not sure she ever fully knew how profoundly her work impacted our family, or how signing with our twins would help me find my passion and purpose.
After seeing how deeply signing affected our family, I felt called to share the Baby Signs® Program with others and went on to become an instructor, district manager, and recruiter. When Linda and Susan retired in 2014, I was honored to continue carrying the Baby Signs® Program forward, helping share their life-changing work with families, instructors, and professionals.
Linda’s presence has always been at the heart of the Baby Signs® Program. I still see her regularly in our videos, in media articles, and in the work we continue to share. It is a comfort to know that her warmth, wisdom, and dedication will continue to reach families for years to come.
Linda will be dearly missed, but she will always be remembered for her kindness, her brilliance, and the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind. I am forever grateful."
Michelle Cromeenes
Baby Signs Too LLC
Elk Grove, CA
"It’s hard to put into words what an extraordinary influence Linda Acredolo had on my life. I first met Linda (and the wonderful Susan Goodwyn) as an undergraduate at UC Davis, helping with what would soon become the groundbreaking Baby Signs research. From the very beginning, Linda had a remarkable gift for making everyone feel welcome. Even as a professor, she made an undergraduate student feel seen, supported, and comfortable asking any question. She and Susan brought that same warmth and joy into every gathering, hosting unforgettable parties filled with laughter, delicious food, and legendary gift exchanges that reflected the generosity and fun they shared with everyone around them.
Linda was so much more than a mentor. Through her guidance, I learned far more than child development—I learned what it means to be a leader, a businesswoman, and someone willing to take bold chances even when they felt daunting. She was incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, encouraging, dependable, and genuinely kind. Some of my most treasured professional memories are traveling the country with Linda, sharing the Baby Signs mission and training new instructors. Those experiences were filled with laughter, friendship, and lessons that have stayed with me throughout my career.
Linda’s impact reaches far beyond those of us fortunate enough to know her personally. Through her research, books, and the incredible parent and child programs she helped create, she touched the lives of countless families and babies. I will always be deeply grateful for the influence she had on my life and for the example she set through her brilliance, compassion, and unwavering encouragement. She will be greatly missed, but the legacy she leaves behind will continue to inspire so many for years to come."
Erin Panelli
Davis, CA
Colleague
Dr. Acredolo trained me and through the certification I received, allowed so many caregivers to communicate with their little ones. A story I share in my classes is about how I got a glimpse into the memory of one of my boys when he used his signs to tell me that he remembered a storm that had passed after seeing a waterfall on TV. He connected one type of water with another and recounted it for me. Were it not for teaching him sign language I would never have known what he was thinking! It was shocking to read that we lost Dr. Acredolo, but I hope her friends and family find comfort in knowing that families around the world are a testament to her legacy. I will forever be grateful for her work as it allowed me to help families in such a special way.
Socorro “Coco” Pacheco, MLIS, CEIM
Certified Baby Signs® Instructor
California
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has shared memories, condolences, and reflections in Linda’s honor.
Continuing the Work She Helped Begin
Dr. Acredolo’s legacy will continue every day through the Baby Signs® Program, through the instructors who teach it, through the professionals who share it, and through the families who use signs to connect with their babies.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Dr. Acredolo’s family, friends, colleagues, and all who loved her.
With gratitude and love,
The Baby Signs® Program