Gestures and/or Key Word Signs

14 April, 2020
Well we are well underway into our second week of teletherapy. Never has communication been so important at Therapies for Kids than now.
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With the advent of Teletherapy for Kids, our hands cannot touch your child. Our cupboards of toys, puzzles, books (though emptier) are still mainly waiting in the rooms. Therefore, to allow us to provide the best service we can, we have had to use all of our communication skills both verbal and nonverbal during our Telehealth for Kids sessions. As I have sat in on sessions to offer my years of experience to our wonderful therapists, it has become obvious to me how much our therapists and carers depend on gestural cues or signing to aid communication. So, I thought I might discuss the use of gestures and or keyword signs in the development of early language.

When people talk, they gesture. Even children move their hands when they speak. Evidence suggests that children’s’ gestures often reflect knowledge they have but cannot express. This is particularly so in the early stages of language development.

Communication is not just about using spoken words. First, we need to be able to engage a child through gaining joint attention. This social interaction with parents/carers is the early stage of communication. Once you have achieved this then communication begins by facial expressions, gestures, signs, and symbols. These are all ways we express ourselves even before we learn to talk.

Early Communication Development

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Research suggests that the importance of gestures is significant and that children need 16 words and gestures by 16 months to begin to establish a language framework. The exact gestures learned will vary in families but this gestural language is a critical milestone in early language acquisition and it launches a child from early nonverbal language to first words and a burst of language development from 18 months. This also correlates with a child having attained gross and early fine motor skills, i.e. walking and pointing, etc. and they can now concentrate on developing the more complex and sophisticated motor skills of speech.
It is evident then that the gestures children use in communicating with those around them, even before they use spoken language, tell parents/carers and others about how a child’s communication is developing.
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Key Word Signs

At TFK we are all about using gestures or Key Word Signs (KWS) with our children and families. As discussed above, the use of gestural cues or KWS does not replace spoken words but supports understanding and development of language at any age.  KWS can be used with any child who is delayed or having difficulty with the acquisition of language.

KWS/gestures can help to:

Four main principles of KWS:

FAQ’s

No, it won’t as there is a strong link between the use of gestures/signs and speech in communication development. For example, studies have shown that:
Gestures and speech go hand in hand and by giving your child these communication opportunities by using KWS you promote your child’s communication development.  When children use gestures, they are able to express themselves before they are able to use words verbally. Therefore, when children use gestures and their carers/parents respond, they are modelling language the child can learn from.
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Gestural cues or KWS can be used in communication with any child while they are developing early language.
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At Therapies for Kids we work as a transdisciplinary practice and all therapists will use key word signing if it is indicated to help a child they’re working with communicate and develop early language.

I hope the information provided above is of use. If you have any further questions, please contact your GP or a speech pathologist.

Take care at this time of social isolation.

Deb

Further reading

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By Debbie Evans

Executive Director

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