Tears and tantrums – they’re a source of frustration for all parents of newborns and toddlers.

Why is my child crying? Are they still hungry? Are they overtired? Do they need their nappy changed?

Then when the child reaches the terrible twos, they struggle to be understood.

If only children could talk or communicate with their parents right from birth.

Everyone’s life would be so much easier.

Mooloolah Valley parents Ian Creaser     and Lisa Baade know first-hand how frustrating the early years of communication with children can be, having gone through the toddler years with their first child, Liam, now 7.

When daughter Scarlette was born six months ago, they began working on a way to help parents such as themselves understand what their child is thinking from a very early age.

The couple has written a book that teaches parents and children to communicate before the child can speak, using simple hand gestures.

Ian said the main advantage of using baby sign language was that it allowed parents to connect with their children.

“It takes it beyond the toddler just pointing at what they want,” he said.

Ian, a carer for disabled adults, and Lisa, a medical research scientist, used their knowledge of conventional sign language to develop their own program.

Although the concept of baby sign language has been around since the 1980s, Ian and Lisa found the common alphabet-based programs too complex.

“They were all country-specific products and involved finger-spelling the words,” Ian said.

“For little kids to understand the alphabet, it just doesn’t gel. We reworked (the program) to gesture-based signs, which are easier for parents and kids to understand.”

The pair use signs with Scarlette, who is starting to understand the gestures.

“We started on ‘milk’ with her and she gets all excited when she sees us doing it (the gestures),” Ian said.

“She flaps her arms and moves her fingers, although she’s not quite completing the signs yet.”

Research overseas has shown that babies who are taught sign language start speaking earlier and develop higher IQs.

As their program is based on gestures rather than English, Ian and Lisa believe anyone can follow their book to learn the basics of the toddler sign language.

By Holly Robertson, 28 May 2009, The Daily.

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