Babies:
- Research funded by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development
in the USA showed that signing babies understood more words than non-
signing babies, spoke earlier, were less frustrated and more communicative, and there was a closer bonding between parent and offspring.
Hearing Children:
- Low levels of language and literacy skills in children are a national problem.
- There are many children in primary school classes with temporary deafness – from recurrent ear infections and other causes such as Otitis Media.
- Many children in school do not have English as their primary language.
- Language signs give meaning to spoken English.
Children with Special Educational Needs:
- With signs, children have a means of communicating in ways other than speech. For some, signing gives them their first opportunity ever to successfully express their needs.
- Children with communication difficulties are given the chance to show their actual intelligence through Sign.
- Signing encourages teachers and parents to use sentences that are short, simple, and to the point. A plus for all children.
- Signing helps replace failure with confidence.
Deaf Children:
- Over 90% of deaf children are in mainstream schools where English is the dominant language.
- 9 out of 10 deaf children are born into hearing families, but only 1 in 10 deaf children have hearing families that learn sign language to communicate with them.
Sign Charity:
- The average reading age of deaf-
school graduates is 8.75 years. This statistic has changed little in the last three decades. - Deaf children need to access English through Sign Language in the same way that children from other minorities acquire English as a second language.
- British Sign Language [BSL] is the 4th indigenous language of Britain. BSL is the
3rd most widely-
used language in Britain.