BSL stands for many things.
It is Breed Specific Legislation with regard to dogs and domesticated animals; it is the the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership department at West Point; it is the Birmingham Swim League in Alabama and the Bureau of Street Lighting in Los Angeles, and the Berkley Seismological Laboratory that measures, tracks, and educates about earthquakes…
Regarding language and communication, BSL is British Sign Language. It is NOT “Baby Sign Language.” There is no such language as Baby Sign Language, however I continue to see articles that discuss what they call BSL when referring to Baby Sign Language. SO – I thought I’d clear the air.
At Baby Fingers, we teach ASL – American Sign Language. The babies approximate and adapt the signs according to their cognitive level as well as their developing motor strength and coordination. This doesn’t create a new language, “baby sign language” – it is simply the first step in their use of the signs. Just like when babies begin to verbally babble and approximate spoke words – we don’t call it “baby English” or “baby Spanish.” They are not creating a new language, rather they are attempting to communicate in the same way as those around them – it just takes time and practice.
When we talk about our Baby Sign Language Classes, what we’re really referring to is our sign language classes for babies.
There is a California based program called Baby Signs that has become quite popular. The two women who developed this program (Acredelo and Goodwyn) did a tremendous amount of research in the late ’80s demonstrating the benefits of signs and gestures on overall language development. As a result of signing or gesturing as babies and toddlers, these same children were found to have advanced IQ and vocabulary by 2nd grade. While their research is valuable to the field, and quite well done, unfortunately their method teaches a large majority of home-made or adapted signs rather than ASL. What that means, is the gestures are not language based or culturally based, and cannot be used in sentences or to further one’s communication with people in the Deaf community.
It was Joseph Garcia’s Sign with Your Baby philosophy of incorporating the actual language of the Deaf – based on his experience as an educator and sign language interpreter (also in the ’80s) – that demonstrated ASL to be the way to go when signing with babies. Garcia found that the hearing and Deaf babies he worked with, who were consistently exposed to American Sign Language, were able to communicate using a true language from a very early age. The hearing and deaf babies he worked with who were not exposed to ASL were further behind in their level of communication and acquisition of language. Garcia found that exposure to and subsequent use of ASL set the foundation for development of a structured language system, and facilitated bilingualism.
On a related note – some folks who advocate teaching sign language to babies (including Garcia), suggest starting the process sometime between 6 – 9 months, when baby could possibly begin to sign back. Some also recommend starting with 3 or 5 signs, and not adding any more until the baby begins to use one of them. But I DISAGREE.
At Baby Fingers, we recommend starting to incorporate ASL as soon as possible. There’s honestly no right or wrong time – it’s never too early or too late. An 18 month old who hasn’t yet begun to use language can benefit from ASL – it is motivating and reinforcing, as it is initially easier to produce signs than speech. For a preschooler, ASL provides a fascinating and less threatening way to express one’s feelings and learn new vocabulary. School age kids like the idea of having a “secret” or “private” language, while actually learning to communicate with someone from a different culture or community. And exposing a newborn to ASL will provide familiarity and the possibility of actually using signs at a much earlier ages. We don’t wait to speak to our children until they’re almost at the age to speak back. Also, keep in mind that when we speak with our children, we don’t stick to only 3 – 5 words until they begin saying one of them – we offer a complete language. Do the same with signs.
It’s hard to know what will motivate each child to begin to communicate – your baby may sign “milk” early on because it’s a significant basic need. He might, however, not sign it because he knows he’ll get milk from you no matter what. It may be the sign for music or dog or airplane or book that excites your child and motivates her to make a request in sign. Children who are deaf or hearing, those with hearing aids or cochlear implants, all have a pre-verbal stage (and some have un-aided times of the day) when a visual language is not only ideal, but essential. While there is not a sign equivalent for every single word, ASL is a beautiful, true language that complements spoken languages and enhances your child’s acquisition of words – both verbal and visual.