Tiny Talk guides

Baby sign language and ASL: why real signs matter

Baby sign language works best with real signs from American Sign Language (ASL), a complete language used by many Deaf and hard of hearing people in North America. Real signs are words other signers recognize, and they give your family somewhere to go next. Using them, and calling them ASL, gives credit to the community whose language they are.

ASL is a full language

ASL is a complete, natural language with the same linguistic properties as spoken languages. Its grammar is different from English, and it is expressed with the hands and the face. It is the main language of many North Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing¹. There is no universal sign language: British Sign Language, for example, is a different language from ASL. Like any language, ASL has regional accents and variations¹. The National Association of the Deaf calls ASL the backbone of American Deaf culture².

What "baby sign language" can mean

Babies make up gestures on their own, and these gestures often appear alongside first words³. "Baby sign language" programs build on that by giving parents signs to show. They fall into three groups: gestures a family invents, simplified "baby signs" that some programs sell, and real signs borrowed from a sign language. Tiny Talk teaches only real ASL signs.

Why real signs matter

• Other people understand them. A Deaf neighbor, a caregiver who signs, or an ASL teacher will recognize a real sign.
• They give you somewhere to go. If your family wants more, an ASL class builds on the signs you already know.
• Babies simplify on their own. There's no need for an invented "easy" version. Babies naturally swap in easier handshapes and bigger movements, and you can accept their version while you keep showing the real one⁴.
• They give credit. Using the real words, and naming the language they come from, respects the people whose language it is.

Borrowing words is not speaking ASL

Signing single words alongside spoken English is borrowing vocabulary. It is not ASL grammar, and it is not fluency. That is fine. Say it plainly, so nobody mistakes a handful of baby signs for the whole language.

Researchers who followed three hearing families found that baby signing grew out of a positive view of sign language, but it usually faded from family life as the children started talking⁵. If your family enjoys signing, take a class, meet Deaf signers, or keep a few signs in daily life to help it last.

A few good habits

• Call them ASL signs, and credit the Deaf community whose language this is.
• Don't describe ASL as a baby language or a stepping stone to speech. Celebrate signs and words equally.
• Expect some regional differences. If a dictionary shows a slightly different sign, it may be a variant.
• Watch fluent Deaf signers whenever you can.
• If you want to go further, look for ASL classes taught by Deaf instructors.

If your baby is deaf or hard of hearing

This is a different situation, and a few signs are not enough. A baby who can't hear speech needs full access to a language from the start. In one study, deaf and hard of hearing children of hearing parents who were exposed to ASL before 6 months had age-expected vocabulary growth, even though their parents were learning ASL alongside them⁶.

CDC's benchmarks call for a hearing screen before 1 month, a full evaluation before 3 months for a baby who does not pass, and early intervention before 6 months⁷. Your state's early intervention program can help, at no cost or reduced cost for children who qualify⁸. Choices about hearing technology, speech, and sign belong to your family and your baby's care team.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your baby's doctor about your own baby.