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Parent Wise Austin Say it With a Sign: Volumes 1 & 2 by Timeline Productions They say that necessity is the mother of invention. In Nora Salinas' case, it's true and we parents can reap the benefit of it. Salinas' 4-year-old daughter, Liliana, was born with Down Syndrome and esophageal atresia (her esophagus was not connected to her stomach). In her first year of life, little Liliana had four major surgeries, several outpatient surgeries, and spent nearly four-and- a-half months in the hospital. All of her health problems didn't allow much time for developmental progress. So by the time she was one, her parents were adamant about helping Liliana "catch up" developmentally. When Liliana's speech therapist recommended sign language to help her communicate, Salinas and her husband rose to the occasion. Indeed, as the owner of a small video production company, Salinas went one step further: she created a set of DVDs to help parents teach sign language to their babies. Modeled after the Baby Einstein series, the Say it With a Sign DVDs are designed to be used with babies. But honestly, they are engaging for older children as well. (In fact, I discovered that older kids will enjoy watching the DVDs with their younger siblings to help "teach" them sign language!) The DVDs feature simple graphics, an actor doing the signs, and delightful piano music throughout. The actors use American Sign Language, which they occasionally modify for little hands. The DVD is simplistic, focusing on one sign at a time with multiple repetitions interspersed with graphics and video (the shots of cookies for the word "cookie" were a big hit!). By including children with and without Down Syndrome, the DVD also functions as a wonderful tool for introducing able bodied children to those with disabilities. You can find out more about the Say it With a Sign series by going to www.SayItVideos.com. - K.P. | ||