Baby, look at you now!

Imagine how much easier life would be for mothers if they could tell exactly why their babies cried.

What if there was a method that could offer infants a way to communicate with their parents long before they could utter their first words.

And what if this method could allow them to explain exactly what they needed '“ a nappy change, food or simply even their favourite teddy. Sounds like some sort of post natal dream doesn't it? Except that there is such a method and it's already being practised by families locally.

It is called baby signing. It can reduce frustration, tantrums and misery for both parents and babies, and, best of all, it can help you gain an insight into your baby's world long before speech begins.

Orlene Matthews has been a qualified baby signer since 2006. She came across this method while taking her university degree in deaf studies and special needs.

"I learnt that deaf babies could communicate long before hearing babies through using sign language," she says.

"Babies are born with a natural desire to communicate and using their hands is their natural gesture."

Until fairly recently baby signing was mainly practised in the US. For many years scientists, doctors and educators have studied sign language as a means to assist communication in children with hearing or speech impairments but little had been done to explore using it with hearing babies. Dr Joseph Garcia, one of the world's foremost experts on communicating with infants, changed all that.

Through working with over 5,000 babies and their families since 1986, conducting extensive research, he found that using the traditional sign language with babies as young as six months could significantly enhance their quality of life and that of their parents.

Orlene says "Baby signing has really grown in popularity and word is beginning to spread over here now."

Orlene has run classes in Chichester, Bognor and Havant to help parents learn how to use the basic signs easily and simply in their everyday lives. "The great thing about baby signing is that it is totally adaptable. Learning any new language can be daunting but with signing you can learn as few or as many signs as you want.

"Some parents may only want to learn the basic signs, others may want to take it further."

Surely by teaching your baby to sign, you are running the risk of inhibiting development of speech though?

"No, it's actually the opposite," says Orlene. "Baby signing helps stimulate speech development. The golden rule is to say the word along with the sign. So if you are using the sign for milk, you must say 'milk' at the same time."

Orlene's classes are small and friendly, with about eight parents and their babies - more like a playgroup than a lesson.

Each session begins with a song from the brightly-coloured baby signing puppet mascot, Max. He has glove arms and hands so Orlene can thread hers through to make him 'sign' the words in the song .

There is a different theme each week. The first class covers signs for the basics such as hot, no touch, cuddle, while the later classes progress to topics including families - ie mummy/daddy and going to the park, farm yard and holidays.

Amanda Martin, 35, from West Marden took one of Orlene's six week beginner courses with her son Connor and found it to be a really fun environment with the babies relating to Max the puppet.

"We also used pictures and animal toys to reinforce the signing. After the fourth session Connor started to sign for nappy change which was amazing to see.

"It has been a fantastic experience for us and has opened up a whole new level of communication between Connor, myself and my husband."

Every baby is different and so when they begin to sign will be different too. Davina and Michael Rowe, from Barnham, attended Orlene's classes last year.

"One of my NCT antenatal classmates arranged it," says Davina. "Michael was five and a half months when he started and almost seven months when he completed it. He started signing for milk two days after. We found it really helpful as he could sign for when he needed a nappy change and when he wanted to breastfeed."

Davina is planning to continue to sign even after Michael can talk.

"We will continue to do signing as there will be words he won't be able to say but could sign. He is now really babbling so we think signing will enhance his speech rather than delay it."

Davina has also found that signing can help the whole family to feel more involved.

"Both my husband and I sign to Michael and even granny is very keen!"

Orlene is holding free drop-in taster sessions; at Bognor Regis Nursery, Victoria Drive, Bognor, 10-10.30am, and at New Park Centre, Chichester, 2-2.30pm, both on January 20. She is also looking to start up more classes. If you are interested in joining, contact her on 01243 824 050/07793769496 or email [email protected]

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