There are books, classes and even references to infant sign language in movies. (Remember the signing, foul-mouthed baby in the movie "Meet the Fockers?")

The ultimate goal of using baby sign language is to increase bonding and reduce frustration among infants and toddlers, said Linda Acredolo, co-author of the book "Baby Signs" and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California at Davis.

"It's no different from how we feel when we're in France and we don't speak French," she said. "It's the same feeling of being cut off and helpless to get your messages across. And it's a shame if parents don't have this bridge."

Children who know the signs for some basic words - things such as "milk," "more" and "eat" - often fuss less because they're less frustrated, said Pam Lile, an American Sign Language interpreter and educator who teaches courses on signing in Akron, Ohio.

"It just alleviates a lot of tantrums," Lile said.

On a recent morning at the Akron City Hospital, about a dozen babies sat on blankets while their attentive parents sang songs and practiced the hand motions for some basic words in American Sign Language.

What looks like child's play - things such as singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" - actually helps teach the youngsters to pay attention to their caregivers and mimic their actions, Lile said. Those skills are critical for babies to start using sign language.

"Getting them clapping with you is a wonderful beginning," she told the parents.

Some of the parents said they're seeing positive results.

Jennifer Sweeney enrolled in Lile's "Time to Sign" class to help communicate with her 10-month-old twins, Alexis and Isabella.

Instead of crying when they want milk, her two girls now crawl up to her and make the sign for milk - a fist that's being squeezed as if milking a cow's udder.

"If they can communicate their needs to me, that helps," she said. "It definitely gets us to get their bottle a lot quicker."

Sign language isn't a requirement for communication development.

But it can help bridge the gap between when children start understanding language at about 8 or 9 months and when they're able to begin speaking, usually between 12 to 15 months of age, said Dr. Nevada Reed, a pediatric neurologist at Akron Children's Hospital.

In fact, babies naturally start using their own gestures to get their points across to caregivers, she said.

"From the time they're born, they're communicating with their behaviors, with their facial expressions and their cries," she said. "Many children, by around 9 months to age 1, are starting to use some gestures on their own."

As long as caregivers use the spoken words that go along with the signs, the use of sign language won't stall verbal language development, Reed said.

By Cheryl Powell
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051116/LIFE03/511160339/1083/news05