Does teaching sign language delay speech development?

There has been a lot of attention the last several years regarding teaching babies to use sign language for communication. There are arguments that it gives babies a way to communicate and opposition that says it delays speaking development. Which is it? What are the risks? What are the benefits?

Gesturing is an easier motor skill than speaking and research shows that language development is bolstered by using sign language early on, even as early as 4-6 months old. Babies can begin imitating signs around 9 months old before their first word is expected at around 12 months on average. As babies are taught signs and gestures to communicate their needs, there is typically a decrease in crying and fussing. That’s a bonus!

When teaching signs, pair the or gesture with the verbal word so they can learn both. As they start speaking, their signing will gradually fade as they do not need this additional tool and speaking becomes a more efficient way for them to communicate. In the meantime, you increased their expressive vocabulary since they can sign more words than they could speak.