Use of baby signs in children acquiring sign language

[Laura Morett]

Dear all,
A recent post to another thread reminded me of something I've recently  
been wondering about.  Does anyone know if there is an research on the  
use of baby signs with children acquiring ASL or another actual sign  
language?  I understand that the two are very different beasts, in  
that baby signs are considered more akin to gestures than actual sign  
languages, which have been shown to have all of the characteristics of  
spoken languages.  I also understand that sign language generally  
emerges more quickly than spoken language, due to children's better  
motor control over their hands than their larynx, so perhaps there is  
no need for them to use baby signs at all.  But I was just wondering  
if anyone knows of any research on this at all.

On a related note, do users of sign languages such as ASL gesture?   
Would this be impossible, due to their use of both hands for signing?

Thanks,
Laura Morett



************************************************************************************************
Laura Maribeth Morett
Ph.D. Student
Cognitive Psychology Area
Department of Psychology
University of California, Santa Cruz

Office: Social Sciences 2, Room 419
Lab: Bilingualism & Cognition, SS2 411
Mailstop: Psychology Faculty Services
Phone: (831) 459-4592
Fax: (831) 459-5319
Personal website: http://people.ucsc.edu/~lmorett
Email: lmorett at ucsc.edu

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