Our latest award winner is the baby board book series (ages 0-5) written in English yet rhyme when signed in ASL, created by Laura Blum. A National Certified ASL interpreter with a degree in Family Science, emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Laura’s passion for ASL and her background in ECE fuels her creativity. She has partnered with the Deaf community to create language delay resources to support parent’s efforts to provide a language rich environment for their children who are at risk for language delays. She also founded and is president for About Love and Language 501c3 with a mission to support parents as the children’s first teachers. The books are also all illustrated by Deaf Artists. If you don’t know the signs to a book, simply scan the QR code on the back of each book and learn the signs from a Deaf Mentor- and watch how they rhyme.
Parents want to bond and build language with their children who have special needs, but they need extra support and resources. Babies of all abilities gesture before they can vocalize their wants and needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports 1:5 children will have a language delay. Simple to sign baby board books help caregivers practice signing skills and build fluency while sharing books with their small children. These books are designed to be educational. They are not only fun to sign, because they rhyme in ASL, they also prepare children for kindergarten. It is designed for families who have children at risk for language delays. Children with hearing loss, Down Syndrome, Autism, other conditions or no diagnosed conditions yet have been identified with language delays. It can be used by parents, early intervention specialists, and special education classrooms.
Thank you, Laura, for this book series.