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Why Auslan?         Auslan is the official Sign Language used by the Deaf community of Australia. It is not a universal language and each country has developed it’s own unique sign language to serve the needs of it’s users. Auslan has its main origins in BSL – (British sign Language) but it also uses signs from ISL (Irish Sign Language) and ASL – (American Sign Language). Auslan, in its entirety, is a complex and beautiful language, using gestures, symbols, finger spelling and facial expressions. It allows it’s users the ability to participate in full conversation although one must be very clear that it is not simply ‘signed English’. It is more succinct and focuses on the most important words in a sentence, leaving out the ones which have little significance. Some people have asked ‘why Auslan?’ when I tell them that my Signing Hands classes use only genuine Auslan signs. It is true that some other signing teachers recommend that parents make up their own set of signs to use at home, or use Makaton*, but I cannot see the benefits of learning signs with your baby that no-one else can understand. By learning Auslan you are actively teaching your child a recognised 2nd language which is an amazing skill and you are helping to bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf communities in Australia and opening up communication opportunities for your family. Home made signs are fine if your baby never leaves your side, but it would be very stressful for them if they were trying to express a need to someone looking after them and that person couldn’t understand them. Many day care centres and schools are now teaching basic Auslan signs to their pupils and staff. It would be unreasonable to expect carers to learn several different sign languages to accommodate the needs of several babies, so it makes sense for them to use the most widely used one, the National Sign Language of our own country. (*Makaton was devised by MArgaret Walker, KAthy Johnston and TONy Cornforth in the UK. It uses gestures, pictures & diagrams to assist communication and development of children and adults who are unable to speak or whose speech is difficult to understand. It has a limited vocabulary but it is used in many countries, particulary in intellectual & developmental disability fields. It is not a language, it is an augmentative communication system that has proved to be extremely successful in helping children or adults with limited or little effective speech.)