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Show v HERALD DAILY D4 Sunday, January 9, 2005 not just for deaf children William Weir THE HARTFORD COURANT Standing at a coffee table in the family room, Michaela Keen looks at a picture book and puts her hand under her chin. Michaela's mother and translator, Julie Keen, points out that this means "pig." Since she started seven months ago, Keen has become a faithful advocate of "signing." The use of hand gestures to communicate with toddlers who have normal hearing, is a practice that has become increasingly popular among new parents in the last few years. The idea is that children develop manual dexterity before verbal skills. Life isn't easy for toddlers, as anyone who deals with their sudden mood swings on a regular basis can tell you. Usually, their distress revolves around a handful of basic themes: tired, hungry, thirsty, need chang- ing. But which? Hand gestures, some say, can provide just enough information for parents to quell an impending tantrum. Keen knows there are nay-sa- y ers, but she's convinced there's something to it. "I don't know how much to attribute this to signing, but she d is a very kid," says Keen, who lives in Canton, thors' findings that babies and toddlers make their own hand gestures for things and their conclusion that parents should build on those gestures to communicate with their children. Some still encourage parents to use whatever gestures come most naturally to their children. But others insist that American Sign Language is a better alternative. It's a prickly issue within the community. Nisenson stresses that her program is strictly ASL, albeit with some modified gestures to make it easier for young children. facAs part of the tion, Nisenson argues that special gestures known only to the parents and the child severely limits whom the child can communicate with. And if the gestures you're teaching your child are American Sign Language, Nisenson. says, there's the added bonus of teaching a second language that could become useful later in life. Acredolo, a psychologist at the University of California at Davis, says she's "surprised, but sort of not," by how quickly it's i j: ii gaineu iouowers. rur anyone who's experienced the frustration of trying to communicate with a baby that isn't yet able to talk, she says, it's only natural that this would take off. But be forewarned: It can be a lot of work. Mernie Berdeen of Avon, Conn., brought her toddler to Nisenson's class last March. Together they learned . the sign for "milk." At the time, it was enough to keep the moving forward with the program. "I enjoyed it; it's an intriguing idea," Berdeen says. "But you have to be consistent and do it every time." Though her daughter learned a few more signs, eventually Berdeen and her husband decided it took more time than they could give and dropped off. Not Keen, who's kept at it despite skepticism from all sides. Even her husband first thought the whole thing seemed like an "earthy, crunchy" sort of fad. And then Michaela signed "daddy," and he's signing now also. With another baby due in Februarv. Keen fieures she'll be signing for a while. "I'll keep at it until they don't want to do it anymore," she says. , . ,: IS ?V J" fk , pro-AS- "Jilt o L t- good-nature- Conn. And, others say, it strengthens the bond between parent and child by providing some insight as to how children view the world. "There are all these just unbelievable things that they notice, which you don't know about without a shared communication system," says Beryt Nisen-sowho teaches parents how to use American Sign Language with their children. Parents are generally encouraged to start when their child is 6 or 7 months old. But some say signing can be beneficial even after a child has begun speak- mi ( 4 Ber-dee- Yfl"--If' JOHN WOIKEThe Hartford Courant Julie Keen is teaching Michaela, her daughter, sign language because some studies show it may help children develop better verbal skills. Here they learn how tor sign "brush teeth" in their Canton, Conn., home. kind of rapport with your baby before anyone else," says Nisenson, whose son began signing when he was 8 months old. Like many other advocates, Nisenson suggests that using signs with children can even boost their IQs. John W. Hagen, a professor of human growth and development at the University of Michigan, isn't so sure. If babies whose parents sign to them ing. Could this really be just a case of overzealous parents jumping on the latest craze that promises to make little Ein-stein- Not at all, says Nisenson. It's a matter of giving children the means to say things they wouldn't otherwise have the means to. "It seems so neat to have that cally rich, frankly, that's more important," he said. "These parents are probably already seem to be mentally developing faster than others, it probably has less to do with signing than the amount of attention their parents are paying them. If parents are signing to them, he says, chances are they're also providing a nurturing environment, and that's what's key to an intelligent baby. "All the evidence shows that if kids are in a warm, safe environment that's linguisti providing that." On the other hand, he says, there's probably nothing harmful to it, as long as parents don't go so overboard that signing takes the place of other activities, like reading books and playing games. There have ' been concerns that teaching with to toddlers sign languages normal hearing would delay their talking, but Hagen says nothing suggests that this is the case. And then, which gestures to use? Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, the authors "Baby Signs: How To Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk," are often credited for much of the popularity of signing. It. started with the au- - Amber Frey book tells all about her and Scott Peterson and her daughter. "You deserve the best in the world," Peterson wrote in a letter he signed simply "Scott." "Children are the miracles that we get (to) watch and help with. What a gift." Details of the letter and Frey's relationship with the Peterson are Diana Walsh SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Just a week after Scott Peterson was arrested in the deaths of his wife, Laci, and the couple's unborn son, he wrote Amber Frey, his former secret girlfriend, a letter from jail telling her he was praying for her revealed in her new book, "Witness For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson," which went on sale Tuesday. The massage therapist from Fresno, Calif., was the prosecution's star witness in the case against Peterson, who was found guilty Nov. 12 of murdering his wife and unborn son. Until the book's publication, Frey's only public comments about her involvement with last d murder year's trial came during the two weeks she spent in the Redwood City, Calif., courthouse last August. Frey spent most of her time sit ting in the courtroom listening, along with the jury and reporters, to the dozens of secretly taped phone conversations she'd had with Peterson in the two months after his wife disappeared on Christinas Eve 2002. e book Frey begins her detailing the whirlwind romance with Peterson that started on a blind date Nov. 20, 2002. Frey, who had had a series of bad relationships, wrote that she was almost in disbelief at her good fortune. She thought perhaps she'd found the perfect man. Peterson was caring, charming, sensitive, thoughtful 210-pag- most-watche- An unwed mother, How Reliable f is Your a iealous boyfriend, a meddling stepmom. I: a missing baby. Furnace? you're not absolutely confident about the condition of your home's furnace. Contact us for a professional inspection. Our technicians are factory-traineso we can deliver the best quality and value in furnace repair and replacement to your home. d, Opera. , The story is tragic. The music is macic. Featuring the Utah Symphony Orchestra and sung in Czech, with Green Sticker Service : Furnace Tune-u- p Combination Special..... Enclish translation proiected above the stage. Jenufa later realize that even their earliest conversations were filled with lies from Peterson, whom she came to view as a pathological liar. Peterson told Frey that he'd never even gotten close to being married and was "completely monogamous" with her. Frey said she could hardly breathe after learning from a friend that Peterson was the man in the news whose wife was missing and the subject of an intense national search. Along the way, Frey, who makes references to finding strength through God throughout the book, said that she had come to believe that she was chosen by God to help find Laci. "It was the oddest feeling. I thought Laci Peterson needed me; I thought she was counting on me to bring her and her baby home," wrote Frey, who continued to hold out hope of finding Laci Peterson alive long after police and others figured her for dead. Even after Modesto, Calif., police told Frey she had done enough for them and could stop recording her calls with Peterson, Frey insisted she continue taping their conversations in , hopes of finding new clues for the investigation. But the single mother of two young children said she'd never expected the tapes to be played in open court or made public, and as she sat there in court listening to herself on tape, she felt "completely humiliated." Nearly two months after Laci li!il!vj(. Peterson disappeared and as the case against Peterson appeared to be mounting, Frey decided to stop recording calls and stop talking to Peterson altogether. On Feb. 19, 2003, Frey told Peterson they should stop talking until they knew more about the fate of his missing wife. Peterson agreed and offered a gentle goodbye before hanging up. But two days later, Peterson was back on the phone asking Frey if she'd received a package for her daughter. Frey asked him again not to call and said if he needed to say anything to her, he should write an He then began her. On April 13, 2003, after the bodies of a baby and a woman washed ashore, Frey wrote Peterson a "Were those the bodies of Laci and Conner?' He never responded. A little over a week later, he sent her his letter from jail. He reminded her that May 4 was Laci's 28th birthday and said he was asking his closest friends to fly a kite in her memory. . If Not Oprah. and handsome, too. She writes that she would $79.00 $69.00 $99,00 By Leos" janacek January 22-j- o, 200$ Heating & Air Conditioning UTAH OPERA "Quality Service At A Fair Price" i UTAH YMPHOHV Orem 'Sr'onRA Anne Even GnmlDmam Capitol Theatre: lanuary 23, For tickets, call H 16, 28 M 7 K p.m. January 90 at 240 Of 225-708- Springville pn. ttatt www.utahtymphMy0pera.9tg CT 'r!-- ! 8 489-708- (Mma? 8 4CUSSk !fl!ff" Turn to the Experts' Caring competent staff nursing staff All RN , , ' ' Board certified physicians More than 350 skilled physicians on staff 1 for customer satisfaction Rlated |
