When your little starts signing they will not always make a sign exactly perfectly. However, watch for actions your child is making with their hands! These are called sign approximations and these are your child communicating with you using ASL signs. When your little signs their approximation remember to keep signing the correct sign rather than copy theirs. In their mind, they are doing the same sign action as you are!

Here is an example of Miss K’s approximation for “All-Done” (watch her left hand), while trying to copy by verbal for the word.