Infant Signs as Intervention? Promoting Symbolic Gestures for Preverbal Children in Low-Income Families Supports Responsive Parent-Child Relationships

Autor/in	Vallotton, Claire D.
Titel	Infant Signs as Intervention? Promoting Symbolic Gestures for Preverbal Children in Low-Income Families Supports Responsive Parent-Child Relationships
Quelle	In: Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27 (2012) 3, S.401-415 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0885-2006
DOI	10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.01.003
Schlagwörter	Control Groups; Cues; Intervention; Mothers; Infants; Parent Child Relationship; Low Income Groups; Language Acquisition; Nonverbal Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Program Effectiveness; Comparative Analysis + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Stichwort; Mother; Mutter; Infant; Toddler; Toddlers; Kleinkind; Parents-child relationship; Parent-child-relation; Parent-child relationship; Eltern-Kind-Beziehung; Sprachaneignung; Spracherwerb; Non-verbal communication; Nonverbale Kommunikation; Interpersonale Kommunikation
Abstract	Gestures are a natural form of communication between preverbal children and parents which support children's social and language development; however, low-income parents gesture less frequently, disadvantaging their children. In addition to pointing and waving, children are capable of learning many symbolic gestures, known as "infant signs," if modeled by adults. The practice of signing with infants is increasingly popular in middle-income populations around the world, but has not been examined as an intervention to promote positive qualities of the parent-child relationship. This study tested whether an infant sign intervention (ISI) encouraging low-income parents to use symbolic gestures could enhance the parent-child relationship. A final sample of twenty-nine toddlers and their families were followed for 7 months after assignment to the ISI or a control group. Children and mothers in ISI group families used more symbolic gestures than those in control families. Mothers' in the ISI group were more attuned to changes in children's affect and more responsive to children's distress cues. Mothers in the intervention group also viewed their children more positively, reducing parenting-related stress. This study provides evidence that a simple infant sign intervention is an effective tool to promote bidirectional communication and positive interactions for preverbal children and their parents. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10