When will my baby begin actually using signs? 

The answer varies enormously from baby to baby depending on a child's interest in communicating (some babies prefer climbing bookshelves to reading books), development of related skills (e.g., memory, imitation, attention), and the frequency with which parents model the signs. The most typical age range for first signs is between 10 and 14 months.

It's important to keep in mind that the younger the child is when you begin modeling - even within this age range -- the longer it will take for those first few signs to appear. After that it’s “off to the races!”

Linda's son, Kai, for example, didn't produce his first sign until he was 12-months-old. However, once the proverbial "light bulb" came on, he added new signs very quickly -- about 14 new signs within 3 weeks. Eventually Kai had a repertoire of over 40 signs which he used very productively until he hit his "verbal spurt" at 19 months (from 7 to 74 verbal words in a single month!)

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