Special Needs

What if your whole school used sign language?

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What would it look like if all the students in your school used signs to enhance learning?  What would a typical day in class look like? What would the teachers think? How would parents react? How would it affect bilingual students? How would it affect special needs students? With the help of our friends at The STAR school, a bilingual charter school in Arizona serving the Navajo Nation, you can see how beneficial and fun a school-wide signing program can be! Read Video Transcript About this video The STAR School 3-to-3rd Project infuses both American Sign and Navajo Languages throughout …

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Supporting Down Syndrome Awareness Month

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By Colleen Brunetti, M.Ed., C.H.C. October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and Signing Time is proud to be a long-standing supporter of children with Down syndrome and their families. Signing Time Co-founder Rachel Coleman can often be found at Buddy Walks around the country, and we’ve been working hard to build a great database of resources for you to use when signing with children who have Down syndrome. The goal of the Buddy Walk is to promote understanding and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. “My September and October weekends are filled with Buddy Walks!” says Rachel. “At each …

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One mom’s unusual idea leads to communication breakthrough

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Autism Awareness Month: Matthew’s Road to Communication Matthew has autism and speech apraxia. Until he was almost 3 years old, he could not communicate. A therapist gave Matthew a Baby Signing Time video. And it changed his life. He began to initiate communication through signs! Soon after, Matthew’s mom asked herself: If a little bit of sign language is good for my son, what would happen if he were exposed to a lot of it? What if Matthew could attend a school where everyone used sign language, like a school for the deaf? Read Matthew’s Story Read related story

Sign language a “miracle in our lives”

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Autism Awareness Month Feature: How Signing Changed Matthew’s Life “Our son has never been able to speak and it has been a source of complete frustration for him and for our entire family. In January we started using the Signing Time videos and he has been a completely new person. Despite his hearing being fine, this Fall we had him enrolled in a school for deaf and hard of hearing children. His signing has increased even more and we are impressed every day by the wonderful things that he is learning and able to communicate with us. This morning I video taped him showing the alphabet in …

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COUPON: Save 21% off your order at SigningTime.com

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In honor of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day (March 21), we’re sharing a 21% off coupon with you! Here’s how to use your code: Add any products at www.signingtime.com to your cart. At checkout, put in the code save21 and hit apply.   21% of your total will automatically be deducted. Enjoy your savings and your educational products from Two Little Hands! Code cannot be used to purchase digital products.   Thank you for making learning so fun! “I wanted to thank you for giving us an incredibly fun way to communicate with our child. With your help we have …

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Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day

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Dear Signing Time Families, When we created Signing Time, I hoped it would make a difference in the lives of children who are deaf. I wanted families, neighbors and entire communities to embrace American Sign Language so that my daughter, Leah, and children like her would be welcomed, involved and included. I had no idea that Signing Time would make such a big difference in the lives of so many children who have Down syndrome! My fall weekends are routinely filled with Down Syndrome Buddy Walk performances. This year, I invite you to attend your local Buddy Walk, it’s an experience …

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An Unexpected Journey

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By Colleen Brunetti, M.Ed., C.H.C.   Life has a way of coming at you fast, doesn’t it? One minute you’re planning a future in a certain way, and in the next you find a completely different path before you. And sometimes there are no U-turns or do-overs. You just have to keep moving forward, finding the sunshine on a new journey.   Such was the case for Mary Ann Christo and her husband, Eric Waksmunski. Pregnant with twins, the couple looked forward to expanding their family – times two.  But when Shane and Wyatt were born early in critical condition, …

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Encouraging Interactive Play for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Tips for Parents

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by Loretta Gallo-Lopez, MA, LMHC The American Academy of Pediatrics has indicated that “… play is healthy and in fact essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.” Interactive play has been shown to enhance social communication and connection. Many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulties spontaneously engaging in interactive or social play. The following tips will help to encourage and support this type of play for children with ASD. Make every effort to play with your child several times each day for 15 …

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I Got My Baby Back Because of Sign Language

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by Tammy R., West Valley City, Utah Every mother loves watching her child grow and learn new things. As a first-time mom I was no different from all the others. With every day it seemed my baby boy, Benjamin, was just blossoming as an individual. It seemed like one day he was holding his head up on his own and the next he was walking. I had gotten a book called First Signs when Ben was just a baby and tried to use it often. I had heard that a child as young as six months could communicate through sign …

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