Sign Language Among Hearing Infants: The Spontaneous Development of Symbolic Gestures

Abstract

A 15-month-old infant sees something in the corner, points to it, looks at her mother, and then rubs her index fingers together. Her mother smiles and says, “Yes, that is a spider.” Another 15-month-old child sees a pattern on his grandmother’s dress, points to it, and then wrinkles up his nose and loudly sniffs out three times. In this case the mother’s response is, “Yes, that’s a flower.” Still a third infant comes to her mother and moves both hands up and down rapidly. The movements continue in bursts until the mother acquiesces to the “request” and places the baby on the piano bench.