Does using sign language with babies interrupt or delay their speech development?
Actually, research states the opposite is true. Using American Sign Language with your child can accelerate their speech development. Since they are already using language in their heads and putting signed words together to communicate things, once their articulators are able to form the sounds, they quickly add speech to their signs. Gradually, the drop the signs and only use the spoken word. There has been no indication of a resulting speech delay.
