10-Minute Speech Practice That Doesn't Require Sitting Still

Last updated 2026-07-11

Why teach signs to a late talker at all?

The worry parents voice most is this: if my child learns to sign, will they stop trying to talk? The research answer is a clear no. A 2006 review published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research found that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including manual sign, does not suppress speech development and frequently supports it ^[1]. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) states directly that AAC does not replace speech and should be offered alongside, not instead of, spoken language intervention ^[2].

Signs work for a mechanical reason. Speaking takes precise, rapid coordination of the lips, tongue, jaw, and breath. Signing takes hands and arms, which most toddlers already control well. When a child can express a need and get a response, the communication loop closes. That loop is the engine of language growth.

Frustration deserves attention on its own terms too. A child who cannot tell you they are hungry, hurt, or tired will often melt down. Signs give them a tool while spoken words are still coming online. That is a real quality-of-life gain for the whole family, separate from any long-term language outcome.

One more thing. Signs are free, portable, and need zero equipment. They work in the car, at the playground, at 2 a.m.

Which signs should you teach a late talker first?

Start with high-motivation, high-frequency words. That is the consensus, drawn from both Baby Sign research and AAC practice. These are the words a child would use constantly if they could. Not 'elephant.' Not 'please' (useful, but not urgent). The words that map directly onto what your specific child wants several times a day.

Here are the signs most speech-language pathologists recommend starting with, grouped by function:

Requests and regulation (start here)

One or two favorites (personalize here)

After the core regulation signs, add one or two signs for things your child is obsessed with. A child who loves dogs gets 'dog.' A child who lives for bubbles gets 'bubbles.' A child who asks for milk twenty times a day gets 'milk.' The specific word matters less than the motivation. If a child has a reason to use a sign, they will practice it ^[3].

That is your full first list: seven to nine signs. Not twenty. Not a vocabulary deck. Seven to nine signs, used consistently and with real enthusiasm every single day.

Some parents ask whether American Sign Language (ASL) signs are 'correct' or whether they should invent their own. ASL signs win for two reasons. They are documented and consistent, so other caregivers can learn them from the same free sources (Signing Savvy, Handspeak, ASL University). And some children, particularly those later identified with autism or apraxia, may meet formal sign-based systems down the road, where ASL overlap helps. That said, if your child spontaneously invents a gesture you both understand, use it. Communication is the goal.

What is the right order to introduce these signs?

Pick one sign and live with it for a full week before adding a second. Parents rarely want to hear this, but it matters. Children learn signs through repeated exposure across varied contexts, not through a single teaching session. One week of seeing 'more' modeled at snack, at the park, during bath toys, and during books beats introducing all ten signs in a weekend.

A reasonable sequence for many toddlers:

Week 1-2: 'More' (versatile, quick wins across many contexts) Week 3-4: 'Help' (reduces meltdowns almost immediately once learned) Week 5-6: 'Eat' and 'drink' together (similar contexts, easy to teach side by side) Week 7-8: 'All done' (important for transition moments) Week 9-10: 'Up' plus the first personalized favorite sign

Then add new signs at the child's pace, roughly one to two per week once the system is working.

There is one exception to going slowly. If your child is in constant, acute frustration, you might introduce 'help,' 'more,' and 'all done' in the first two weeks, because those three cover the most common communication breakdowns for toddlers. Watch your child and adjust.

How do you actually teach a sign at home?

You do not need flashcards, sign videos running in the background, or structured lessons. The method research supports is called aided input or modeling, and it is what it sounds like: you do the sign every time you say the word, whether or not your child signs it back ^[4].

Practical steps:

1. Say the word AND sign it at the same time, every time. 'Do you want MORE?' (sign more while you say it). Do not split the sign from the spoken word.

2. Make the sign at your child's eye level when you can. You do not have to be on the floor all day, but clear sightlines help for the first few exposures.

3. Wait. After you model a sign in a motivating moment, pause five to ten seconds. Hold the opportunity open. This is called expectant waiting, and it is one of the best-supported prompting strategies in early communication intervention ^[5].

4. If your child makes any attempt, any gesture in the right direction, treat it as communication. Respond right away and with real warmth. Give them what they asked for.

5. Hand-over-hand prompting (physically shaping the child's hands into the sign) should be used with care and only if the child welcomes it. Some children, particularly autistic children, find unexpected touch aversive. Modeling is usually enough and is less likely to create bad associations.

Consistency across caregivers beats perfection. A slightly off 'more' sign that every adult in the house uses is worth more than a flawless ASL 'more' that only one parent does.

How long does it take for a late talker to start using signs?

Honest answer: it varies a lot, and there is not much controlled data on this exact question for late talkers as a group.

In typically developing infants introduced to baby sign, first intentional sign use generally appears after four to eight weeks of steady modeling, with many children producing first signs around 8-10 months if started early ^[6]. For older late talkers (18 months to 3 years) with more cognitive development behind them, the timeline is often shorter once motivation is high.

The biggest predictor of speed is not the child's ability. It is how consistently the adults model the signs in real moments. A child who sees 'more' signed twenty times a day across genuine snack and play contexts will usually sign back faster than one who sees it demonstrated once at the kitchen table as a lesson.

Some children start attempting a sign within days when motivation is high. Others take three to four weeks. If you have been consistent for six weeks and see zero response, raise it with a speech-language pathologist. It could reflect motor planning challenges (see apraxia of speech) or other factors an assessment can sort out.

For families dealing with autism, timelines can run longer and a specialist often helps. Autism spectrum speech therapy approaches often fold sign in alongside other AAC tools.

Do signs help late talkers start talking, or replace talking?

This is the question parents ask most, and the research answer is steady: signs support spoken language rather than replacing it.

A frequently cited 2006 study by Millar, Light, and Schlosser reviewed studies of AAC intervention for individuals with developmental disabilities and concluded AAC does not inhibit speech and often facilitated speech production ^[1]. A 2010 study by Romski et al. in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology found that AAC-augmented interventions produced significantly more spoken vocabulary growth than speech-only interventions for toddlers with developmental delays ^[7].

The theory holds up. Signing in parallel with speech gives a child two channels of input for one word. The sign is a visual cue that lingers a second or two, unlike the fleeting sound of speech. For children whose auditory processing is still developing, that visual anchor appears to help map sound to meaning.

None of this makes signs magic, or means every late talker should skip speech therapy and go straight to signing. Signs are one tool. Most late talkers will eventually talk, with or without signs. Signs reduce suffering in the meantime and appear to speed the arrival of words, not delay them.

If your child also has motor speech concerns, like childhood apraxia, signs may serve a longer-term role. Read more about childhood apraxia of speech and how it affects AAC planning.

Are there children for whom signs might not be the best starting AAC?

Yes. Signs require adequate fine motor control and motor planning of the hands. For children with significant motor impairments, or some children with childhood apraxia of speech whose motor planning difficulties reach the hands as well as speech, signs can be genuinely hard to produce.

For those children, picture-based AAC (a communication board or a speech-generating device) may be a better first tool. AAC devices run from low-tech boards to high-tech systems, and a speech-language pathologist can help match the tool to the child's profile.

Signs also need a communication partner who knows what the sign means. At home with steady caregivers, no problem. At a daycare or playground full of unfamiliar adults, an unrecognized sign can fail to communicate. That is a real limit worth knowing.

None of this is a reason to avoid signs. It is a reason to treat signs as one possible starting point rather than the only option, and to bring in a speech-language pathologist if your child has a complex profile. Early intervention services (free in the US for children under 3 under IDEA Part C) include a speech-language evaluation and can guide exactly this kind of decision ^[9].

What does the research say about the best signs to teach first?

No large randomized trial ranks 'more' above 'help' as a first sign. What research does support is the principle: start with words that are motivating and functional for that individual child, not with vocabulary adults find logical or educational.

This comes from core vocabulary research in AAC. Beukelman and Mirenda identified that a small set of high-frequency words (often called 'core vocabulary') accounts for roughly 80% of the words children actually use in conversation ^[10]. Core vocabulary words are mostly functional: 'want,' 'more,' 'go,' 'help,' 'stop,' 'that,' 'like.' These are not nouns. They are the glue words of interaction.

Fringe vocabulary (specific nouns like 'dog,' 'ball,' 'milk') is personally motivating but used less often across contexts. The advice to add one or two fringe words early (the personal favorites) comes from motivation research, not core vocabulary research: a child with a powerful reason to communicate will practice more.

The blend of two or three high-frequency core signs plus one or two high-motivation personal signs shows up in most clinical guidance for early sign introduction, even though no single study has tested this exact mix against alternatives.

So the list above is not arbitrary. It reflects where the evidence points, with the honest caveat that more research would sharpen the picture.

How many signs should a late talker know before they start talking?

There is no magic number. A big sign vocabulary was never the goal. Signs are a bridge, and the bridge can be short.

Many SLPs observe clinically that once children reach about 10-15 functional signs, spoken words often start showing up, though this is not a controlled-study finding and individual variation is large. What seems to matter more than quantity is whether the child uses signs intentionally and whether their partners respond reliably.

Once a child starts producing spoken words, signs often fade on their own. The child discovers speech is faster and more powerful, and prefers it. You do not need to withdraw signs deliberately. Some children keep a few signs alongside speech for months or years, and that is fine.

If a child reaches 20 or more signs with no spoken words emerging, that is a signal to revisit the assessment rather than simply teach more signs. Are there underlying motor, sensory, or language processing factors nobody has fully identified? A speech therapy speech therapist consultation is appropriate at that point if one has not already happened.

For families looking for guided support at home between therapy sessions, tools like Little Words can help parents practice modeling strategies consistently, day to day.

Should you combine signs with pictures or a communication board?

For many late talkers, yes, and AAC-informed SLPs increasingly recommend it. The rationale is multimodal input: a child who hears 'more,' sees the sign for 'more,' and sees a picture symbol for 'more' gets three representations of one concept at once. There is no documented downside to combining these, and some evidence that multimodal AAC beats single-mode approaches for children with complex communication needs ^[11].

A simple starting point. Put a small picture of 'more,' 'eat,' 'drink,' and 'help' on a card on the refrigerator, use the matching sign when you point to the picture, and say the word. This costs nothing and takes ten minutes to make.

For children with more extensive communication needs, a more formal system (PECS, a core vocabulary board, or a speech-generating device) may be warranted, and that call belongs with an SLP. For most late talkers who are otherwise healthy toddlers, the simple sign-plus-picture combo at home is a reasonable start that needs no professional to run.

Little Words includes a start quiz at littlewords.ai/start that helps parents figure out which communication strategies match their child's current profile, including whether signs, pictures, or other approaches make the most sense right now.

Where can you learn the signs for free?

Several strong free resources exist:

ASL University (Lifeprint.com): Run by Dr. Bill Vicars at Sacramento State, this is one of the most thorough free ASL resources online. Every sign gets a short video. Find the words on your list and bookmark the pages ^[12].

Signing Savvy (signingsavvy.com): A searchable video dictionary with slow-motion playback. Free with ads, small subscription for offline features.

Handspeak (handspeak.com): Another ASL video dictionary, organized by category. Good for finding baby-relevant signs quickly.

Baby sign guidance from ASHA: ASHA publishes accessible parent guidance on signing with young children at asha.org ^[2].

One caution. There are paid baby sign programs (Signing Time, Baby Signing Time) that are genuinely good products, but you do not need to buy anything to teach the core signs above. The free resources cover everything on the first list.

Frequently asked questions

At what age should I start teaching signs to a late talker?

Start as soon as you notice your child is behind on speech milestones. The AAP places these at about 16-17 words by 18 months and 50-plus words with two-word combinations by 24 months. There is no lower age limit. Signs can be introduced to any infant around 6-8 months old, well before speech typically begins. For late talkers identified at 18-36 months, starting right away is appropriate.

Will my child stop trying to talk if they learn to sign?

Research consistently says no. A 2010 study by Romski et al. in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology found that toddlers with developmental delays who received AAC-augmented interventions showed more spoken vocabulary growth than those who received speech-only treatment. Signs appear to support spoken language development, not compete with it.

What is the single most useful sign to teach first?

'More' is the most widely recommended first sign for late talkers because it applies across every context: food, play, reading, physical activity. A child who can signal 'more' has real communicative power immediately. 'Help' is a close second because it covers frustrating moments across the whole day. If you can pick only one, start with 'more.'

How many signs should I teach at once?

One at a time, ideally for a full week before adding the next. Consistency across every caregiver in the house matters more than speed. Once a child has three or four functional signs working well, you can introduce new ones faster, roughly one to two per week, as long as the existing signs are being used reliably.

My child refuses to sign back even after weeks of modeling. What should I do?

First, check that you are modeling in truly motivating moments, not during 'sign practice.' Second, ease off prompting pressure, which can make some children shut down. Third, make sure every adult in the child's life uses the same signs. If you have been genuinely consistent for six weeks with no response, raise it with a speech-language pathologist. Motor planning issues or sensory differences may be involved.

Does it matter whether I use official ASL signs or make up gestures?

Official ASL signs win for two reasons: they are consistent across caregivers (any adult can look them up), and they align with formal communication systems a child might meet later. That said, if your child spontaneously invents a clear gesture that works, use it. Communication function is what counts. Just write down what each invented gesture means so all caregivers stay on the same page.

Should I sign AND speak at the same time?

Yes, always. Signing without speaking (or speaking without signing) reduces the benefit. Presenting both at once, a technique called simultaneous communication or 'sim-com,' gives the child an auditory and a visual representation of the same word at the same time. Never let signing replace spoken language modeling. Say the word clearly every time you show the sign.

Can signs help an autistic child who is nonverbal or minimally verbal?

Signs can help, but autistic minimally verbal children often benefit most from a broader AAC approach rather than signs alone. Picture-based systems and speech-generating devices have stronger evidence bases for this population. Signs can be one component of a multimodal system. An AAC-trained SLP should be involved in planning for minimally verbal autistic children. See ASHA's guidance on AAC for autism.

What if my child's daycare or preschool doesn't know the signs?

This is a real practical issue. The simplest fix is a one-page reference sheet with photos or drawings of the specific signs your child uses, labeled, sent to the classroom. Most teachers will use a small set of functional signs once they see how quickly the child's behavior improves. You do not need the whole staff trained in ASL, just the five to eight signs your child actually uses.

Are signing and picture communication boards basically the same thing?

No. Signs are produced by the child's body and require a knowledgeable partner to understand them. Picture communication boards are external objects the child points to, which any literate adult can read. Both are forms of AAC with different strengths. Signs are always available and need no materials; boards are universally readable but can be lost or forgotten. Many children benefit from using both.

How do I know if my child needs signs, a device, or formal speech therapy?

Signs are a reasonable home starting point for most late talkers. A speech-generating device is worth exploring when a child needs communication power beyond what signs provide, especially if they are not moving toward speech by age 3. Formal speech therapy fits almost any late talker regardless of which AAC tools are in use. These options are not mutually exclusive.

Is there evidence that signing speeds up the development of actual words?

Yes, though the evidence is stronger in some populations than others. The Romski et al. 2010 study found significantly more spoken word growth in the AAC-augmented group than in speech-only intervention for toddlers with developmental delays. For typically developing infants, studies like Goodwyn, Acredolo, and Brown (2000) found that babies taught symbolic gestures showed faster vocabulary development at 19-24 months compared to controls.

Sources

1. Millar, Light, & Schlosser (2006), Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 'The Impact of AAC on the Speech Production of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities': Review of studies concluded AAC does not inhibit speech production and frequently facilitated it
2. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), AAC overview: ASHA states AAC does not replace speech and should be offered alongside spoken language intervention
3. Goodwyn, Acredolo, & Brown (2000), Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 'Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development': Child motivation for a specific sign drives practice frequency and acquisition speed
4. Drager et al. (2006), American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, aided language modeling with AAC: Aided input / modeling (signing while speaking) is the evidence-supported technique for AAC introduction
5. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), naturalistic early language intervention strategies: Expectant waiting (pausing to hold a communication opportunity open) is a supported prompting strategy in early communication intervention
6. Goodwyn & Acredolo (1998), Child Development, 'Encouraging Symbolic Gestures': Typically developing infants introduced to baby sign generally show first intentional sign use after 4-8 weeks of modeling
7. Romski et al. (2010), American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 'Randomized Comparison of Augmented and Nonaugmented Language Interventions for Toddlers with Developmental Delays': AAC-augmented communication produced significantly more spoken vocabulary growth than speech-only interventions for toddlers with developmental delays
8. US Department of Education, IDEA Part C (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), early intervention for children under 3: Under IDEA Part C, free early intervention services including speech-language evaluation are available for children under age 3 in the US
9. Beukelman & Mirenda (2013), Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs, 4th ed.: A small set of high-frequency core vocabulary words accounts for roughly 80% of the words children actually use in conversation
10. Schlosser & Wendt (2008), American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 'Effects of AAC Intervention on Speech Production in Children with Autism': Multimodal AAC (signs plus pictures plus speech) does not reduce and may improve speech outcomes compared to single-mode approaches
11. ASL University / Lifeprint.com, Dr. Bill Vicars, Sacramento State University: Free ASL video dictionary covering all common baby-relevant signs including more, eat, drink, help, all done
12. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Developmental Milestones, speech and language: AAP places expected milestones at approximately 16-17 words by 18 months and 50 words with two-word combinations by 24 months