Benefits of using sign with hearing children
Some deaf parents may be unsure whether to use sign language with their hearing children.
Research shows that language acquisition (spoken or signed) in children from 0-3 is absolutely vital to the psychological development 
of the child.
And American research shows that hearing babies can learn to communicate using simple signs from the age of six months old. It reduces the frustration felt by babies who can’t tell you what they want, and can also increase a child’s IQ. Visit www.itvbabysign.com for more on this.
Many CODAs report that learning the languages and cultures of both the deaf and hearing worlds helped them gain responsibility, maturity and the ability to empathise with others.
Cultural benefits of storytelling
Many deaf people – or families with deaf members – report bad experiences with the hearing world because of barriers to communication, a lack of understanding about D/deaf culture and misunderstandings.
Storytelling is a useful way to explain and discuss these issues with your hearing children.
It’s also a really good way to ensure you spend time together bonding, and that your children understand you are deaf but that you can communicate with each other and that it’s nothing to worry about or be embarrassed about.
Siblings have an enormous impact on children. Relationships between them can be difficult at the best of times – there can be lots of strong emotions in families, like jealousy, love, rivalry. Add in communication barriers, either between deaf and hearing siblings, or if there’s one sibling who has better sign language skills, and you’ve got a hotbed of issues.
Storytelling is an excellent bonding tool for families and encourages a positive relationship. Accessible stories in multiple formats – which can be accessed by all children at the same time – create a positive, inclusive shared environment. All your children will feel as if they are being treated the same.
