Toddler Interpreter featured in the media again today with a new article by Michael Berry of the Hinterland Times.

Speak to the Hand by Rosemary Hayes

27 May 2009

We all know how cute babies and toddlers are when they wave bye bye, but did you know very young children are capable of using sign language to communicate even before they can speak?

Ian Creaser     and Lisa Baade have developed, written and self published ‘Toddler Interpreter’, a valuable tool in communicating with children from four months to 30 months. Although Baby Sign Language has been around for 30 years, Ian and Lisa have taken what already existed and made it better.

“We wanted to start signing with our daughter Scarlette but realized most existing books used the same signs as you would use for adults. A lot were too difficult to use and were based on finger spelling which means the child needs to know the alphabet. That’s not possible for a very young child.” Lisa said.

With Ian’s work as a disability carer he already used sign language for hearing adults based on symbols and gestures.

“Kids don’t have the dexterity to do adult sign language so we created signs that we decided were the most obvious and best gesture orientated way to communicate,” Ian said.

Since children usually get frustrated because they can’t verbalize their needs, sing language gives them a way to communicate until their verbal skills catch up. Other benefits are increased hand / eye co-ordination, parents gaining a better understanding of their babies needs, communication between siblings increases, and its great for bonding.

“It’s a wonderful way for fathers to interact with their young children. I spend heaps of time with Scarlette and its awesome to have that communication and bond,” Ian said.

The book is broken into stages of learning so the easiest and most relevant signs are taught first, such as Mum, Dad, Milk, Eat and Drink. Each chapter slowly builds on their vocabulary. The book also has explanations, tips and a troubleshooting guide.

If you would like more information or would like to purchase a copy, visit http://www.toddlerinterpreter.com Copies are also on the shelves at Beerwah Library and Maleny Library.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.

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.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.