Baby Signing: A Case Study

The following case study was carried out in a private day nursery, caring for infants and young children. The findings of the study formed part of doctorate thesis and enabled further continuous professional development activities to be carried out.
The case study focused on the use of symbolic gesturing, more commonly known as baby signing. Three practitioners, with varying expertise, journeys introducing and implementing symbol gesturing were documented during a three-month period, using a biographical research approach. The focus was on emotional interactions and whether symbolic gesturing could be an approach employed as way of responding to infants beyond verbal communication that had a shared meaning, infants could observe and understand. The aim was also for infants, as they became familiar with the signs, to also be able to initiate their own requests and emotions using signs alongside vocalisations.
The case study concluded that symbolic gesturing was considered a mode of communication pre-verbal infants could engage in, building capacity for voice.