| usic therapist, I knew that my graduate degree in Deaf | | | | communication related frustration, while jumpstarting |
| education would have to be put to work that included | | | | language development. |
| music. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work | | | | As a mom myself, I found that putting my own |
| in a therapeutic preschool where I had a class of deaf | | | | research to work in my daily life with my children was |
| children whose parents were hearing, together with | | | | priceless. At 6 ½ months of age, each of my children |
| hearing children whose parents were Deaf. Many of | | | | began to imitate my signs and communicate using a |
| the deaf children with hearing parents who | | | | real language! That led me to develop Baby Fingers |
| didn’t sign, did not have access to language until | | | | LLC, In my classes at Baby Fingers, music is a key |
| they began schooltheir hearing counter parts with | | | | component in teaching the signs. Babies focus for |
| deaf, signing parents, were much further along. So | | | | longer periods of time during songs, allowing more eye |
| learning Sign in the classroom opened many doors for | | | | contact with the teacher or parents. During these |
| these 3 and 4 year olds. Finally they knew what to call | | | | moments of eye contact, a great deal of learning can |
| a table, a book, an apple, a friend
and signing while | | | | take place. The songs also act as a memory aid for |
| singing songs helped to solidify their new language. | | | | the grown-ups, so they can go home and practice |
| Research supports the benefits of music and sign
| | | | signing in a natural way with their child. Bilingual families |
| Among others, in 1995, Buday wrote an article for the | | | | in our program have found that translating songs from |
| Journal of Music Therapy highlighting the benefits of | | | | class into their home language, coupled with the signs |
| signed songs on sign and speech imitation by children | | | | also learned in class, appears to bridge the gap |
| with autism. The work of Joseph Garcia of Sign with | | | | between English and the family’s primary |
| Your Baby, throughout the 80s and 90s, | | | | language. This process of signing and singing together |
| chronicles the delight of parents around the world who | | | | provides overall growth in communication and |
| have found signing to decrease behavior issues and | | | | strengthens the bond between parent and child. |