Signing exact English AKA sign language

One of the best gifts that our family was ever given was the gift of sign language. When Jasmine was a very little girl an incredible speech therapist Cindy Arroyo introduced her to signs. Wow was that an amazing thing to behold. She went from pointing and grunting with much frustration to signing for foods, games, toys, and people in her environment. We finally understood what she wanted. It was a real language one we understand and one she was picking up like a sponge. She had a voice and a big brain and she had many things to tell us. We were blessed with an early intervention team that found us an amazing sign language teacher one of my now closest friends Phyllis. She was tortured with the task of teaching me the mother sign when all I wanted to do was watch her amazing ability to make every story a mesmerizing one. She showed me how to sign entire books (green eggs and ham that Sam I am) She would sing old McDonald , itsy bitsy spider, row your boat and Barney’s I love you, you love me, were a happy family. We were a very happy family Jasmine would sign I love you mom and dad and the entire family would melt. She was no longer whining or crying in frustration she had a wonderful voice in the palm of her hands. All the people that said if you teach her to sign she will never speak were so wrong. She is NOW fifteen years old and still has a speech delay! Some days you can understand her and on other low tone , tired days you have no clue what she is saying unless she signs at the same time. Sign was just the beginning for her . Sign allowed her to learn to read. She reads incredibly well and with the use of both voice and signs when she is reading you are one hundred percent sure she knows what she is reading because she sign not the words but the meanings of the words. She can spontaneously initiate a conversation. Glorious!