Signing Hands classes in Perth started in February 2007.

The majority of these comments have been taken from the questionnaire given to all parents at the end of each course. Some parents have also chosen to write independently to express their enjoyment and appreciation. All baby names have been removed for privacy reasons.

Rebecca - Signing Mum - Melville - (10.7.2010)

"I started doing signing classes with my son Michael when he was 14 months old. I had tried some basic signing with him before, but without a class to reinforce it, we hadn’t really got past the sign for ‘milk’ and ‘finished’. So when my friend told me about the signing class, I was very excited and joined straight away. My aim with signing was to try and reduce my son’s frustration at not being able to communicate what he wanted.

He started signing slowly about 4-6 weeks after we had started the classes. Within 2 months he really got the hang of it and was doing many signs and these continued to increase as we attended the classes and used the signs at home. I think in total he learned about 30-40 signs that he would use as required. He learnt the signs for all the animals and used to regularly communicate to me about birds in the garden or dogs and cats when we went walking. However, the signs that made the most impact where ‘more’ (which he did with 2 hands for emphasis!), finished, drink, eat, chicken, fish, etc. These were the signs that enabled him to get what he wanted. Once he started talking (18 months plus), he used the signs at the same time as he said the word. This was very helpful as often I could not understand what he was saying.

I really feel that signing was invaluable in decreasing my son’s frustration and enabling him to feel more in control of his world by communicating what he wanted. I would recommend this to any parent who wishes to increase their ability to communicate with their baby/toddler and make them feel more empowered."

Caroline - Signing Mum - Kewdale (7/ 7 / 2010)

"My Daughter Lara has been attending signing classes since she was a year old. We started the class as a friends autistic son was learning to sign and we wanted to be able to have some communication with him. Lara was the oldest in her class and picked up the signs very quickly. After our first class we were in the shops and as we passed a toy horse she frantically started signing Horse and pointing to the toy. I was really surprised at her progress and after the first two terms she could use the signs for over 20 animals all the foods she ate and family names.

The signing has come in very handy on many occasions as her speech progressed and helped avoid many tantrums. One time Lara was in tears because I didn't get her a "foober"??? and I could not figure out what she meant. She then said "Mummy I doing sign I show you" and signed flower! This is just one of the many times signing has helped our communication. She is now 3 and can sign all the colours, Clothing items, Emotions and many, many other words. We are now learning the ABC's, and signing sentences. Above all we have both have fun".

Simone - Signing Mum - Bechboro (20.4.2010)

" To Fellow Parents, My son was 6 months when I started baby signing with Debbie & is now 20 months old. He started signing at 9 months & talking at 10 months. By 14 months he was able to get across whatever he wanted between signing and speech. And now his speech is clear to all & he often talks in 3 worded sentences., His signs are added to daily & he can understand what I sign to him. He can clearly sign about 35 signs and I can understand about 15 more.

I have 2 older children also who I did not do signing with as babies. My older child was only saying 6 words at 18 months & had many temper tantrums as a result of not being able to communicate her needs. Everyone comments on how advanced they think my son is because of his speech. I can without a doubt say that signing has provided me the opportunity to discuss topics with my son that interest him because he has been able to communicate them with me by signing. This offered me the chance to clearly say the words he wanted to learn about right there & then. Other times he has signed well but said the word not quite clear enough to understand on it’s own, eg; finished, more, outside, & I have then been able to say the word and have him repeat it clearly.

Further to this, my husband & parents, although slow to warm to the idea thinking I was mad & surely only going to delay his speech, soon got on board when he signed their names before able to say them… and they were also able to understand him better because of signs. They have also said his speech has really come on as a result. As for my older 2 children, they quickly picked up on the signs I was teaching their brother & we can now sign to each other in a crowded room or across a swimming pool.

It’s a great second language which is what I am now aiming for that my son’s speech is improving. I love the special connection it has given me with my son. I am so much more in tune with him than I was with my older two. I highly recommend baby signing to all".

Bian - Signing Mum - Riverton (1.4.2010)

"Our daughter started signing hands when she was about 5 months old. Our first sign (apart from clapping) was for 'Daddy' at around 7-8 months, which was very exciting. It wasn't until we started to introduce the more 'fun' signs like animal signs that she really became interested and we suddenly realised she understood much more than we realised!

We found other parents would often be shocked when she did signs for certain things, as it became obvious that she knew what these things were, and they assumed their babies didn't. We think that their babies probably understood just as much but simply could not show them as they their speech was not yet developed enough.

Signing has been a great tool for us to aid communication with our daughter. She is now 19 months and would do well over 100 signs. Her speech development is also advanced for her age, and we believe it's because of being able to communicate earlier through signing. Apart from these benefits it is also great fun!! ( this is from my husband also (Gary)".

 

Sophia - Signing Mum - Mt Claremont (1/4/2010)

I attended a Signing Hands workshop hosted by a Mother’s Group south of the river for parents who were interested in finding out more regarding the Signing Hands program and its benefits. I was curious about the program but being a teacher I also had a niggling doubt in my mind about whether introducing signing to my child would enhance their oral language development or hinder it. After attending this first workshop I decided I would keep an open mind and enrol Katelyn for a term to then be able to make an informed decision about the benefits of signing based on our own experience.

Part of the reason behind me deciding to trial the program was based on the interaction I had during workshop with Debbie who I could instantly relate to as she is also a trained teacher. Debbie presented research which demonstrated the benefits of signing but most importantly she helped me to understand that signing is an additional skill to support oral language development and isn’t used instead of. It isn’t a case of signing and throwing oral language out the window – the two work together.

Katelyn was 14 and half months old when she began Signing Hands. She absolutely loved the structure of each session as it included singing, puppets and story-time. During the sessions Katelyn was interactive, motivated and noticeably engaged, though she didn’t begin signing in the sessions for some time and when she did begin signing the evidence I saw of this occurred at home. Katelyn’s first sign was for ‘milk’ and she was about 15 and a half months old. She used the sign with the verbal word which also helped me to understand exactly what she wanted as her pronunciation to begin with was ‘mulk’ so hearing the word and seeing the associated sign with it was brilliant. I had my first piece of evidence showing signing and oral language working together.From here on the flood gates opened – signs and words blossomed – dog, boat, banana, share, help, duck, dirty, clean, mummy, happy, sad, all gone, book, eat, listen, no –touch were some of the first.

Katelyn is about to begin her fourth term of Signing Hands and is now in the toddler group where she is using her repertoire of signs through dance, story-time and song. The craft activity we make during the session comes home with us as a teaching tool to help reflect on and consolidate the signing concepts covered during the program. There have been periods where Katelyn has had a language explosion and her use of signing to communicate has decreased but it always then returns with a few more new additions.

Aside from the signing I have also seen improvements in concentration and listening skills in Katelyn and the other children. They know the structure of the program, although the content is changing and they are becoming more tuned in to instructions. The children feel comfortable in the environment so confidence levels have grown – Katelyn used to sit on my lap during parts of the session, now I have to ask her to as she is so keen to get up close ready to engage in the activity with the other children.

Social skills have also improved as the children need to work together in each session sharing puppets, sharing story-time and making their craft activity. As a parent it is fantastic to see your little one so excited and engaged in something – Katelyn even asks to go to Signing Hands during other days of the week and yes she asks using the sign for ‘signing’! For me, Katelyn’s learning aside I have gained a lot from being involved in Signing Hands. It tests my memory and keeps my brain ticking as well. I also find the network of other mums and bubs attending a great bonus too".

Sarah - Signing Mum - Melville (20/3/10)
(Baby & Advanced Courses)
"I just thought I'd send you a quick mesage about our progress. As you know I have started Uni and my schedule does not allow us to come to sign language classes this term. I'm hoping that next term will be different. We have been continuing with signing all the same and had some progress. At 11 months my daughter signed 'spider' for the first time. Hurray! She's 1 on Friday and is now signing 'milk', 'spider', 'star' and 'duck'. She also signs all the way through 'If you're happy and you know it'. So well done everybody!!"

Marie - Signing Mum - Bullsbrook (15/5/09)
(Baby, Advanced & Toddler courses)
"I have been coming to Signing Hands since my daughter was 8 months old. She began signing at 12 months, her first sign was bath. She is now 2 and a half and can sign approximately 200 signs. I have found it to be an invaluable experience that has not only enabled her to communicate with me but also is very enjoyable for both of us. It is a great bonding activity, we both have lots of fun. She loves it when i 'get' what she has said or signed and now she is talking it is still very useful when she can't quite say a word correctly. It also is a useful tool as it encourages her to watch and copy what Mummy does. She has very good hand skills and expression in her face and voice. I think it has helped her in so many areas and given her lots of confidence. Thank you Debbie! ."

Katrina - Signing Mum - Melville (30/03/09)
(Baby & Advanced Course)
"Signing Hands is an enjoyable experience for both me and my baby. Our family is now trying to sign to my baby too."

Alicia - Signing Mum - Melville (30/03/09)
(Baby & Advanced courses)
"I love the review at the end of term and love learning the songs."

Fiona - Signing Mum - Kalamunda (25/02/09)
(Baby Course)
"I found the course excellent. the amount learnt was enough to feel you had value from the course, but not too much that you couldn't remember it all. Thank you ."

Roberta – Signing Mum – Kalamunda (11/11/08)
(Baby/Advanced & toddler courses)
“I started Signing Hands Baby Signing classes when my son was a few months old. He first signed “Mummy” when he was 7 months and soon had over 150 signs. Our favourite signs include milk, eat, sleep, more, finished, help and thankyou, as well as colours and animals.

Being able to communicate exactly what he’s looking at or searching for is so useful, eg; “where is the white ball?” or “look at the black bird’. It really reduces his frustration and helps me understand him.

Learning to sign has been made fun and easy by going to Signing Hands classes where we are taught through stories, play and singing together. We’ve also made friends with the other Mums & babies we see each week. My son’s speech is developing beautifully and we now attend Signing Hands Toddler Classes."

Kim - Signing Mum - Swan View (11/11/08)
(Baby, Advanced & Toddler Courses)
"Although I knew the communication benefits of signing with my little boy I didn't realise it would extend to other people too.

We were down at our local farmer's market and were waiting to order food from a vendor. My son and I were signing to each other about the ducks while we waited. There was a deaf man ahead of us and he was having a lot of trouble making himself uunderstood to the vendor. I signed to the man and asked him if he needed help. He signed 'cow' to me, so I told the vendor that he wanted a steak sandwich, not a burger which the vendor had been trying to give him. The deaf man then signed to my son, asking him what he was eating. He told him that he was eating cheese. It was so nice to be able to use my signing to help someone."

Suzanne – Signing Mum – Swan View (25/10/08)
(Toddler Course Aug / Sept & Oct/Nov/Dec 08)
"My son is really enjoying the new toddler classes.  They are packed full of fun activities.  He has been doing signing since he was 1 year old and is now almost 3.  His speech is very well developed for his age - and I feel that this is a direct benefit of signing.  A few days ago he was able to hold a conversation with two hearing impaired ladies who were sitting at a table near by in a coffee shop.  They were absolutely delighted to be able to interact with us."

Skye – Signing Mum – Ballajura (20/10/08)
(Baby Course Aug/Sept 08)
"My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the signing classes. They were a fun, interactive way to learn the signs and spend time together. I highly recommend it!"

Shannon – Signing Mum – Mt Claremont (30/06/08)
(Baby & Advanced courses Jan – July 08 / Toddler courses Aug – Dec 08)
Don't expect mere attendance at the class to turn your baby into a world class signer.  While the classes are essential for teaching parents the signs, the only way your baby will learn is by being vigilant at home.  Do whatever you need to do to remind yourself to sign when you are at home, at the park, out and about, even if it's just a few signs to start with.  Teach your significant other and the baby's grandparents a few key signs so that they are constantly being reinforced.  Buy books based on their signing potential.  Turn a trip to the supermarket into a fun lesson.  Keep signing even after your baby starts to talk."

Suzanne – Signing Mum – Swan View (02/4/2008)
(Beginners Course May/Jun 07 & Advanced Course Aug/Sept 07)
My son (currently 18 months) has enjoyed these classes enormously. They have been great fun for both of us with lots of singing, stories and laughter.
I enrolled him with the idea that signing would reduce shouting across the playground, down supermarket aisles and so on, and it certainly has. The major benefit however, has been lower frustration levels for both of us in the pre-talking and early-talking stages.
Now, when he needs something (e.g. food, drink or a clean nappy) or just wants to tell me something (e.g. he’s seen a dog or he wants to call Grandma) he can clearly communicate this. An additional benefit has been that when he learns the sign he starts to learn the word (even though his pronunciation is not yet perfect). He signs and speaks simultaneously and enjoys it so much he’s been seen signing in his sleep while dreaming.

Natalie – Signing Mum – Kalamunda (02/10/07)
(Beginners Course May/Jun 07 & Advanced Course Aug/Sept 07)
Thank you for introducing baby sign language to our family.
It has been such a great tool to be able to communicate to our toddler.
We began Signing Classes when Felicity was 7mths old and her first sign was “Toilet”(holding of her nose) followed by “Mum”( patting of her head).
We have been signing now for 4 months and her signing repertoire is increasing.
She consistently signs when she is tired and wants to go to bed, when she wants food, a drink from a cup and to be breast fed “milk”. She signs “Daddy”, “dog” “cat”, “nappy” change and now recently “bug/lady beetle”.
One thing that needs to be emphasized with signing is you need patience and an eye for what your child is trying to tell you because being little people, their co-ordination somewhat distorts the signals. Look at the context of when your child gives you the sign and you can work out what they are trying to tell you. While the sign for Mum is 3 fingers patted on the head, Felicity uses her whole hand.
So why not give it a go. You have nothing to lose but a whole lot to gain. Frankly I love talking to my baby and signing makes it all the more rewarding, not to mention relationship building.
Keep up the great classes Deb and thanks heaps for providing a great service.

Natalie – Signing Mum – Dianella (24/9/07)
(Beginners Course May/Jun 07 & Advanced course Aug/Sept 07)
“My daughter started Signing Hands classes at 6 months of age – she was the second youngest student in her class. The first week we learnt the sign for drink so I started showing her this sign every time I fed her in her highchair. She started signing for ‘drink’ very quickly – I am sure she started in the first week – and she continued to fine tune it over the next five months. This sign became invaluable for reminding her exhausted mother that she was thirsty. Despite this early success she didn’t pick up any other signs (or so I thought). She did become very expressive with her hands though, much to everyone’s amusement. When she was 11 months old I started to recognise that she knew how to sign for bird, dog (her favourite) and pig. Since then she has been picking up the signs so fast that she learns a new one almost every day. She has even surprised me with some signs that I thought were too difficult for her to execute.
A lot of people have commented that her speech will be slow to develop because she is using sign language. This has not been the case at all. She is very vocal and has begun saying ‘again’ and ‘dog’ along with the sign) as well as ‘dad’ and ‘Mama’ (signing for these as well of course).When teaching the signs we also teach our child to say the word along with it – therefore they learn both the sign and the word.
I have found that signing has been fantastic as my daughter has been able to communicate with me in English (& Auslan) before she could even say one word. The
classes are really enjoyable and are a great way to spend quality time with your baby reading stories and singing songs along with the signs.
I highly recommend Debbie’s classes.”

Kathleen – Signing Mum – Carlisle  
(Beginners Course – May/Jun 07)
“Thank you for enjoyable classes”

Chelsea – Signing Mum – Carlisle
(Beginners Course – May/Jun 07 Advanced course Oct/Nov 07)
“It’s hard when they don’t sign back, but I will persevere and it will be great when he does.”

Leonnie – Signing Grandma – Kalamunda
(Beginners course Feb/Mar 07 & Advanced course May/Jun 07)
“I think the course was well organised and very beneficial. I’m looking forward to the next course, thank you.”
Leonnie – after the Advanced Course
“The Advanced course was definitely a good idea. It really reinforced the signs.”

Maria – signing Mum – Ballajura
(Beginners course – Feb/Mar 07 & Advanced course May/Jun 07)
“A great way to communicate with your baby on a level that they understand. The signs were clearly explained and repeated each week so that we could remember!”

Katherine – Signing Mum – Ballajura
(Beginners course – Feb/Mar 07 & Advanced course May/Jun 07)
“I enjoyed the interaction and the signs.”

Kim – Signing Mum – Upper Swan
(Beginners course Feb/Mar 07 & Advanced course May/Jun 07)
“I liked the way you taught us the signs – showing them when you read books and when we were singing songs.”