Communicating with your deaf baby or toddler

Last reviewed: 25 June 2024

It’s never too early to begin communicating with your baby, because your baby is communicating with you from the start. Responding to your touch, making noises and copying your expressions are all early signs that your baby is communicating with you.

Most deaf children are born with the same ability to develop language (whether signed or spoken) as any other child. Whatever their stage of development, the way you communicate with your child can make a big difference.

Nadine is mum to Primrose (1), who’s profoundly deaf.

“We sign – and talk – to Primrose all the time, just like you’d chat to a hearing baby and talk about what you’re doing and seeing.”

Communication begins from birth

Your baby loves to spend time with you. They like being held, rocked in time to music, seeing your face and listening to (or feeling the vibrations of) your voice. It doesn’t matter whether you use sign language, spoken language or both.

• Use touch and sight as well as your voice to calm your baby, so they know you’re there. See if they quieten when you touch their tummy or see your smiling face.
• Sing songs and move your baby in time with the rhythm of your voice. This will help them learn about the rhythm and pace of speech. When your voice is high, swoop them up into the air, and when it’s low, swoop them down towards the ground.
• Copy your baby’s sounds or expressions, then wait for them to respond before doing it again. Turn-taking is an important part of learning to communicate.
• Touch your child before you start to talk or sign, and make sure they can see you. Comment on whatever they’re looking at: “There’s a sleepy cat. He’s tired.”

Nadine says, "When I speak, I put her hand on my chest so she can feel the vibration and vice versa when she makes sounds. I sing and shush her when she’s going to sleep, and I hold her against my chest so she can feel the vibrations.”

Activity: Sing songs

Sing action songs and nursery rhymes, using actions and signs to go with them. Leave gaps when you sing to allow your baby to take a turn.

Follow your child’s lead

Babies may show you what they’re interested in by babbling, pointing, gesturing, using eye contact or giving you the object. Notice what they’re focusing on, and talk or sign about it.

If you’re talking or signing about something different to what your baby is focusing on, take time to get their attention through your voice, touch or gesture first. Watch carefully for signs they are focusing on you. They may sit still or look towards your point or gaze. If you’re signing, try to move your signs into their eye line. Wait until you have their attention before you talk or sign. This is sometimes called joint attention.

Nadine says, “If we go into the garden, I show Primrose the signs for flowers and trees. We have three cats and two dogs, so I sign the words for them. Whatever’s going on, I’ll sign about it. I also sign when I’m reading books with her – we have books on getting ready and playing, and I sign the key words to her.”

Activity: Peek-a-boo!

Playing waiting games with your baby develops and extends your child’s attention. Start by hiding your face. When they’re looking at you, pause before saying ‘boo!’ and showing your face. If you’re playing with a ball, wait until they show you they’re ready and waiting for the ball before you roll it towards them. See how long you can keep their attention before the action. You can also try toys that have an element of surprise, like a jack-in-the-box.

Make sure they can see your face

Babies learn about language through hearing and seeing. Your face and expressions help them understand how you are feeling, and they add extra information to what you are communicating about. Even very young babies will expect your lip patterns to match what you’re saying or signing.

Move into your baby’s line of vision before you start to communicate, and use plenty of expression in your face, voice and gesture to engage them and hold their attention.

Nadine says, “She watches your mouth so intently – she has done ever since she was born, gazes really wide-eyed at your mouth. I think she’ll learn to lip-read.”

Activity: Talk/sign everyday routines

Talk and sign during everyday routines where you and your baby are naturally face-to-face, such as nappy changing and bathing.

Attaching a mirror to their car seat or pram may also help them see your face while driving or out and about.

Encourage babbling to signs and words

Babies learning to sign will babble with their hands in the same way that babies learning to speak babble with their voices.

Respond by copying their babble sounds or signs. Repeat the full word or sign back to them. You can then expand on what they’ve said. For example, if your baby says or signs, “Dada,” you could say or sign, “Dada, yes, Daddy’s coming!”

• Put actions to songs, and make up silly rhymes. Rhyme, rhythm and repetition are great ways to build language skills in a fun way, and they help your child tune into the way language looks and sounds.
• Repeat back and add in extra information about what your child is looking at and commenting on: “Shoes... yes, they’re your wellies. Now you can jump in puddles.” Repeating and extending your child’s language is a great way of linking new learning to familiar language.
• Use open-ended questions like: “What’s that?” and “Where are we going?” Allow time for your child to think about what they’re going to say or sign and how they’ll say or sign it. Deaf children may need extra processing time when using spoken language.
• Use language about thinking and feeling, such as “I wonder…,” “What do you think?” and “How do you feel?” Tell your child what you’re thinking and feeling too. This helps them learn to label their emotions and understand that people know, feel and think different things too. It also makes it easier for them to make friends and form relationships with people who don’t know them.

Activity: Baby swing

Use a baby swing to practise taking turns by saying “hello” when they swing towards you and “goodbye” when you push them away.

Grow their vocabulary

Combining words with a visual cue can help deaf babies connect words and signs with meaning. For example, point at things they can see while saying and or signing the name of the object. Repeat the sign and word several times so they tune into the new vocabulary. Even if your child isn’t saying or signing much, they’re still learning about language.

Be expressive with your voice, face and hands. Use animated facial expressions to encourage your child to continue watching.

Activity: Rock and sing

Rock your baby gently while singing to them. This will emphasise the rhythm and tone of your voice, which helps with language learning.

Activity: Read a book

Reading together is a great way to grow language and communication. Talk and sign about the pictures, tell the story in your own words and use actions and your voice to make the story fun.

Communication makes a difference

As your baby grows into a toddler, they’ll begin to use the communication and language they’ve seen and heard to make friends, bond with their family and make sense of their world. All children develop at their own pace, so don’t worry if they take a little longer to show you what they know.

• Make your voice and face interesting by being expressive when you speak. Use your whole body to communicate, from lip patterns to gesture. Make sure they can see you and your face, and get their attention before you start to talk. This will help your child engage with language.
• Find out how your child communicates best. Do they understand more when you show them what you are talking about or who you are talking to by pointing, looking and gesturing? Do they communicate more if you use some simple signs or slow down the conversation, so they have more time to process what you’re saying?
• Improve the listening environment by doing things like closing doors, turning off the TV or getting closer and talking one at a time. This will give your child a greater chance of hearing – and seeing – everything you say.
• Create a rich language environment. Comment on what your child is interested in, ask questions and label feelings. Don’t be afraid to use unfamiliar words and signs.
• Give your child the vocabulary they need to talk about their deafness and let others know how best to communicate with them.
• Even if your child is learning to speak, learning some signs with your family is also lots of fun and a great way to communicate and bond with your child.