Echoes of Autism

“I want my diaper changed.” “I want to go to sleep.” These are two of many examples of what a preverbal child can communicate through American Sign Language. Using the work of researcher Joseph Garcia, founder of the business Sign with your Baby, as a platform this program illustrates the benefits and positive implications of introducing ASL to children regardless of whether their hearing is impaired. Parent/child ASL creates a new source of bonding while reducing the frustrations associated with point-and-cry communication—without delaying normal speech development. (10 minutes)