Sign Language: A Visual Bridge to Early Communication and Inclusion

Published on 04/10/2024

Sign language is a visual means of communication, which consists of the use of hand signs (made with one or both hands) combined with gestures, facial expressions, lip movements (words spoken without sound), body posture. 

Each sign has three distinct elements: hand conformation, hand position and hand movement

 The signs, gestures, associated with facial expression and body posture used for communication between partners are received with the help of sight (Gherguț, 2013). While for speech the main channel of communication is the vocal-auditory one, for people who communicate through sign language the predominant channel of communication is the gestural-visual one.

Sign language is commonly used by the deaf and hard of hearing community worldwide, but it can also be used by people with other speech or hearing impairments, as well as their families and communities.  In many countries, sign language is recognised as the mother tongue of deaf people, being closely linked to the culture, conventions and norms of the community that uses it. Sign language is not a translation of speech into signs, but it is a language in its own right, with its own structure, lexicon, grammar rules (Chirteș, 2019).  For example, a sign can have several meanings, and a spoken word can be translated in different ways in sign language.

 Sign language also includes Finger Spelling, a system of hand signs corresponding to the letters of the alphabet. They are made in the air, using the position and movement of the fingers of one or both hands.

Like the verbal language, the sign language is not universal, different countries and regions have their own distinct sign languages.

Being a visual mode of communication, it is necessary for the people communicating in sign language to stand face to face in order to transmit and receive the messages, so that the person receiving the message can see the hands and face of the person signing.

Prejudices about children learning sign language

Although sign language can be an accessible way of communication for children who have delayed language development or who are unable to develop their speech due to various medical conditions or as a consequence of disabilities, there are certain prejudices which make some professionals and parents reluctant to use this form of communication with these children:

1. Sign language will inhibit or delay speech development.

It is a misconception that sign language replaces verbal language. If verbal speech patterns always accompany signs when they are taught to the child, verbal language will develop as their expressive language skills develop.  Sign language offers children a way to express themselves when they have difficulty with spoken words, and once they develop their verbal skills, they can use both forms of communication or verbal communication can become the main means of communication.  Proof of this is CODA (hearing children with deaf parents), who develop their verbal language even though their deaf parents communicate with them through sign language in early childhood. 

2. Using sign language will confuse the children.

At the beginning of teaching signs to children, they may not understand their meaning in different communication contexts. But through the repetitive use of signs, combined with speech (verbal communication), the child will learn to associate the sign with its meaning.

3. Sign language is too difficult for children with development delays.

There may be a misconception that for children with language development delays or cognitive disabilities, sign language may be too complex to learn or use effectivelyBut, many children with language delays can understand sign language, especially as it uses visual and kinesthetic learning pathways. Some children with delays may find it easier to communicate with signs because they have developed the motor skills needed to gesture, even if they have not developed the fine motor skills needed for speech.

4. Sign language will limit the future communication skills of the children.

There is a misconception that if a child learns to communicate through sign language, they will not develop other important communication skills, such as reading and writing. Studies have shown that learning sign language can improve literacy skills because it helps children understand the connection between symbols (signs or written words) and meanings. The use of fingers can also support the development of reading and writing skills.

Using sign language in school

Sign language is the essential communication means for many deaf and hard of hearing children. Although sign language is used mainly for deaf children, it can also be used by other learners, such as those who can hear but cannot speak.  Sign language or specific sign language signs can be used as AAC modalities for children with different disabilities or with developmental language disorders. ASHA includes signs in the category of unassisted AAC systems, which can be used either to replace verbal communication when verbal communication is not possible or to support verbal communication.

Using sign language with children with disabilities or development delays can have a lot of benefits:

  • Enhances early communication;
  • Reduces frustration as the child can express their needs and wishes;
  • Enables children to communicate efficiently;
  • Increases the child’s self-confidence;
  • Helps create a stronger bond between the child and his/her communication partners;
  • Enhances social and emotional development;
  • Encourages multimodal learning.

At the same time, encouraging the learning of sign language by hearing children, who are peers with children with disabilities or verbal communication difficulties contributes to understanding the challenges and barriers that these children may face, to increase empathy, acceptance and  inclusion.

Resources

Chirteș, G. (2019), Limba română vs limbajul mimico-gestual. Limbă maternă vs limbă străină. Limbă surogat vs limbă naturală. Dihotomii constructive, în Strategii educaționale specifice în contextul dizabilității de auz, Cluj-Napoca, Ed. ASCR

Gherguț, A. (2013),  Sinteze de psihopedagogie specială: ghid pentru concursuri și examene de obținere a gradelor didactice (ed. a III-a). Iași, Ed. Polirom.

Humphries,T., Kushalnagar, P.,  Mathur, G.,  Napoli, D., Padde, C., Rathmann, C, Smith, S.,  (2017), Discourses of prejudice in the professions: the case of sign languages, Journal of Medical Ethics, Volume 43, Issue 9

Pontecorvo, E. , Higgins,M., Mora,  J., Lieberman, A.M., Pyers J.,  Caselli, N.K. ( 2023) Learning a Sign Language Does Not Hinder Acquisition of a Spoken Language, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00505
https://www.spreadthesign.com/en.gb/search

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