Sign Language and Infant Potty Training
Although babies do not generally make their first clearly recognizable signs until about the age of 8 months, some are able to make crude yet readable signs around 6-7 months of age. Also amazing is that most babies quickly learn to associate a sign with its meaning. David's mother started using the toilet sign when he was 6 months old and in just a few weeks, he imitated the sign to the best of his physical ability when he needed to be taken to the toilet. Visitors would think he was waving at them since he was unable to twist his hand back and forth at this young age, but his mother could distinguish between a "bye-bye wave" and a "toilet wave" and respond accordingly.
It is very exciting and satisfying for preverbal children to be able to communicate their basic loves and needs. Other early sign language communication is typically about nursing, loved ones, animals or favorite toys.
To teach a baby to sign his elimination needs, whenever you feel he needs to go, ask him, "Do you have to go potty?" or "Do you need to pee?" as you make the toilet sign. You can also point towards the bathroom, toilet or potty as you signal and continue signaling when he is on the potty, toilet or other receptacle. Your baby will soon make the association between all these things--toilet, elimination and sign language. As your baby grows and develops new motor skills, he will improve his signing abilities and make signs which are more clear and evident.
Here are some typical situations, reported by mothers of preverbal babies at different stages of development.
- I can "feel" my baby signing (feel the movement as she signs) when she is in my arms, looking over my shoulder.
- When I make the toilet sign while asking my baby if he needs to pee, he pats the hand I am using when he needs to go. If he doesn't need to go, he ignores the sign.
- When she awakes (from a nap, at night or in the morning), in addition to vocalizing her need to pee, she also makes the toilet sign.
- When I give the hand signal and then ask, "Do you have to go potty?" my baby looks at my hand, crawls to the toilet, pulls himself up, lifts the lid and waits for me to undress him and help
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