Teaching autistic children to use sign language: some research issues.
Add explicit vocal training to any AAC program if you want speech from nonverbal autistic learners.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Carr (1979) looked at every sign-language paper for autistic kids.
The author asked: Does sign training help? Does it also build speech?
The review covered kids with autism who had little or no spoken words.
What they found
Sign-only lessons improved signing. Speech almost never followed.
When teachers added separate vocal drills, some kids began to talk.
Broader life skills got a small bump, but results were spotty.
How this fits with other research
Howard et al. (1988) ran a tight test and agreed: total communication (sign plus spoken word) beats sign-alone.
Green et al. (1987) and Bachman et al. (1988) moved the same idea into natural play. They dropped signs and used spoken words alone. Kids still learned and used the words in new places.
Galuska et al. (2006) swapped signs for pictures. They taught kids to build new picture sentences. The goal—spontaneous communication—stayed the same.
Maltz (1981) warned that many early language studies lacked good controls. G’s review fits that caution: most sign papers were small and weak in design.
Why it matters
If speech is the target, pair any AAC with direct vocal practice. Sign-alone rarely spills into talking. Use natural play and varied items so the child wants to communicate. Check that parents can carry it home. Pick signs, pictures, or devices—just keep the spoken word in the mix.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →During PECS or sign lessons, say the word first, show the item, then prompt the child to repeat the sound before exchanging the picture or making the sign.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Three questions are raised with respect to the use of sign language as an alternative system of communication for nonverbal autistic children. First, does teaching a child to sign facilitate speech development? The data suggest that following simultaneous communication training, mute children are not likely to learn to talk; however, a combination of simultaneous communication training and separate vocal training may have a synergetic effect on speech development. In contrast, children who initially have good verbal imitation skills apparently show gains in speech following simultaneous communication training alone. Second, what is the upper limit of sign acquisition? Data suggest that abstract concepts, syntax, and generative skills can be taught. Procedures used in the operant conditioning of speech may prove useful in training complex signing skills. Third, does sign acquisition result in a general improvement in adaptive functioning? It appears that following sign training, some children do show increases in spontaneous communication, decreases in self-stimulatory behavior, and improvement in social skills. However, these outcomes are often difficult to interpret. Some data are described that help clarify the relationship between sign training and general behavioral improvement.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 1979 · doi:10.1007/BF01531444