Signing the Way to Successful Intervention: The Awesome Benefits of Using Manual Signs to Enhance Communication and Language – Part One

Posted by Diane Twachtman-Cullen in Speech & Language, Therapies on 08 14th, 2009 | no responses

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“There is a considerable body of research in which total communication was compared with speech alone and/or with manual signing alone to teach receptive and/or expressive vocabulary to children with autism who had limited or no functional speech. In general, the results of these studies suggest that manual signing or total communication results in faster and more complete receptive and/or expressive vocabulary acquisition than does speech alone.” [Emphasis added]

Pat Mirenda, Language, Speech, and Hearing

Services in Schools, Vol. 34, No. 3, July, 2003

That quote alone should render unnecessary even one article—let alone two—devoted to singing the praises of manual sign use for people with ASD! Specifically, what more needs to be said to “sell” readers on the benefits of using manual signs beyond the research-based assertion that their use promotes faster and better vocabulary acquisition than speech alone? As it turns out, a lot more needs to be said on the subject of manual signs, since getting people to actually use them in the education and treatment of those with ASD is a genuine “hard sell”. Indeed, one might say that sign language suffers from the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome, because in the phrase made so memorable by that comedian, it gets no respect as an intervention tool for those with ASD! This article explores the “whats,” the “hows,” and the “whys” of this remarkably simple and yet highly effective intervention tool. Furthermore, it specifically addresses the use of manual signs by adults as a means of enhancing their verbal messages, rather than the practice of actually teaching manual signs to children with ASD.

What is Sign Language?

While there are many different varieties of sign language, they all have one thing in common—they provide a visually-based way of communicating. Since I am most familiar with American Sign Language (ASL), it will serve as the vehicle for manual sign use set forth in this article; however, the information presented is applicable to the different types of sign language used in other countries / cultures.

The first thing that must be said about sign language is that it is a natural language in the sense that it can be absorbed from birth, and used to express a wide variety of diverse communicative functions and needs. In fact, ASL has been recognized by linguists as an authentic language, since it contains the essential elements that all natural languages contain. In recognition of the legitimacy of sign language as a bona fide communication system, more and more schools across the United States of America are adding ASL to their foreign language offerings. This would seem to be most appropriate, since according to Daniels (2001) “nearly 15 million people in North America [are] able to communicate to some degree in sign language, making it the third most commonly used language in the country” (p. 16).

How Can Manual Signs Be Used with Individuals with ASD?

Using sign language to highlight certain words and phrases, has been found to be a highly effective way of enhancing communication and language for all students, particularly those with special needs. The advantage here is that using manual signs in this manner is eminently user-friendly and flexible—easily learned and readily employed in educational / treatment programs, regardless of philosophy. Indeed, all that the interventionist needs is a sign language dictionary, a little practice, and a commitment to stick with it.

The following example serves to illustrate just how easy it is to incorporate manual signs into educational / treatment programs that serve students with ASD. The bold-face type indicates the words that could be signed as they are spoken. While there is some flexibility, the general rule of thumb is to sign those words that you would want to highlight:

Susie, please come here. Thank you. It’s time to do some work.

First we will work, and then we will play. I’m going to show you three things. Two will be the same, and one will be different. Good job!

Before moving on to the next section, it is important to note that a key component of using manual signs in educational programming is that of consistency. Having said that, one of the most frequently observed “bad practices” is the haphazard use of manual signs. To be of benefit to the student they need to be used consistently across people, activities, and environments—and that most definitely includes teaching parents to use manual signs at home.

Why Use Manual Signs if the Child Can Hear?

The simple answer to this question is that there is a great deal of research that clearly demonstrates the benefits of using manual signs to enhance communication and language in hearing students with special needs. Expanding on Dr. Mirenda’s above-noted statement regarding the positive effects on language of using manual signs, Daniels (2001) states,

Historically, sign language has proved useful for language-delayed,

language-disordered, and learning-disabled populations. Typically,

specific signs have served as gestural cues for children with

communicative impairments, for children with Down syndrome, for

children with aphasia, and for children with autism. Using sign

language as a communicative tool with educationally challenged

hearing children improves their communicative competence and

academic ability (p. 93).

Daniels (2001), speaking specifically about children with autism, goes on to state that manual signs can be used to “make it easier for children to follow directions, as a way to help children make connections between words and concepts, and ultimately as a method for leading them to speak” (p. 97).

Part two of this article will take an in-depth, “goodness of the fit” look at the specific ways in which the use of manual signs serves the multifaceted needs of individuals with ASD. It will also examine the widely held myths and erroneous judgments that have prevented sign language from garnering the respect it deserves as a highly effective intervention technique for this population.

References

Daniels, M. (2001). Dancing with words: Signing for hearing children’s literacy.

Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.

Mirenda, P. (2003). Toward functional augmentative and alternative communication for students with autism: Manual signs, graphic symbols, and voice output communication aids. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34, 203-216.

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