Responding to babies' cries and easing their discomfort teaches them that their earliest attempts at communication work and that there are interested, loving 'listeners' around them. In recent years, researchers have learned a great deal more about communication, learning mechanisms and language development that reveal babies' earliest abilities. Some have recommended teaching mainstream babies simple sign language to help families and caregivers respond more appropriately to their needs.

Australian mom Priscilla Dunstan, who grew up with a photographic memory for sound, discovered that she could recognize her newborn son's needs from the sound patterns he made just before he cried and during his crying spells.

She later discovered that she could hear these sounds in other babies between birth and three months of age, and describes them as 'sound reflexes' that babies will continue to communicate with when their cry is responded to by having those needs met.

The The Dunstan Baby Language DVD can teach mothers of newborns and very young babies how to recognize and respond appropriately to five universal sounds throughout the world that Priscilla Dunstan recognized in her son.

On a recent Oprah episode, the five sounds described were 'neh'for hunger, 'owh' for sleepiness, 'heh' for discomfort, 'eair' for lower gas pain, and 'eh' for the need to burp. See slides describing these sounds at Oprah.com and learn more about the Dunstan Baby Language - Learn the Meaning of Your Baby's Cries DVD at www.dunstanbaby.com.

These developments may be even more significant for babies born with special needs who respond so well to appropriate infant stimulation and intervention efforts encouraging communication, early childhood learning, and reaching developmental milestones. Imagine how much it would mean if a baby's caregivers responded to the five 'universal' sounds found in newborn cries with the care that they would attend to the words or sign language equivalents that showed them that their efforts are appreciated and understood.

You can also find the Dunstan Baby Language Crying Language Video at Oprah.com

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061113/slide_20061113_350_102.jhtml

Baby Sign Language
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49759.asp

Bilingual Children with Down Syndrome
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51927.asp

Teaching the Power of Communication
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32725.asp

Equine Therapy and Assistive Technology in Communication
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32724.asp

Communication and Summer Activities
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44161.asp

See What You Mean! Visual Tools to Promote Inclusive Learning
Volume 5, Issues 4 and 5
http://www.disabilitysolutions.org/newsletters/volume5.html

If you are interested in teaching your child sign language, there are many products available. You may find books, videos or DVDs at local booksellers or browsing online at sites like amazon.com:

Baby Sign Language - DVDS, FlashCards, Books and more at Amazon.com

Books on Sign Language at Amazon.com

Sign with your Baby

Children's Books at Amazon.com

Robert DeNiro using Baby Signs in Meet the Fockers

If your child uses an augmentive communication device, remember how important it is to include humor in their range of topics. For examples of what your child's classmates may find funny, try Jay Leno's Funniest Kid Jokes

Better Speech Intelligibility - Down Syndrome DVDs
Discovery - Pathways to Better Speech for Children with Down Syndrome -
What Did You Say? A Guide to Speech Intelligibility in People with Down Syndrome

href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=specialneed0e-20&creative=9325&path=tg/browse/-/229548">Browse Children's Software - Grade Specific, Art and Creativity, Reading and Language, Early Learning, Activities and More

Ordering Amazon.com Gift Certificates or Tivo Downloads here will help support the Special Needs Children website