YOUR baby is screaming. He wants something - but what?

You try the bottle. It's pushed away. You check the nappy and it's clean. You grub around for some cause of discomfort. Or perhaps he's teething. Or is he just plain tired? If only he could tell you.

And just imagine the frustration for the baby. He's communicating the best way he can, but why doesn't this stupid parent understand what's needed?

Little Nicholas Stols' mum knows what he wants, because he tells her in sign language.

He began communicating through signs at eight months, and now at 13 months, he has a sign vocabulary of 80-plus words.

That's a lot of baby-to-mum communication before most babies can say anything more useful than Dada.

Baby signing is growing rapidly in popularity as parents discover the benefits of helping their babies express themselves early. Both get less frustrated.

Vasti already knew the value of signing as she once headed a unit in London for special-needs older children who functioned at the level of a six-month baby. "We used sign language with these children all the time, using Makaton, a system that is similar to British sign language for the deaf. When Nicholas was seven months old I started using signs with him.

"The first sign I used was one for 'more' - a clenched fist on top of the palm. Whenever we played a game, I'd stop and sign 'more' and look at him, and if he didn't respond I'd do something else. After a month he began using the sign himself.

"Then he starting signing for milk, food, flowers. Now he likes playing a game with picture cards when he can sign for about 40 objects.

"Some people recommend using only three new signs at a time, but I do lots all the time.

"It does take patience, as it can take a month or two for a baby to start responding with a sign of their own."

It all sounded amazing as Vasti, who came over from South Africa seven years ago, talked to me at her home in Hazlemere. Then it was time to meet Nicholas after his midday nap.

She brought the sleepy fella into the lounge and he looked at me warily.

"Would you like to say hello to Sandra?"

He put his fingers to his lips and blew a kiss.

"Would you like a drink now, Nicholas?" He sleepily signs for a drink.

"I think you're still sleepy, aren't you?" He puts his hands to the side of his head to say she's right. Then he asks for a biscuit.

He can communicate what he wants - to go outside, or to open the gate into the kitchen. Once he even asked for medicine when he woke up at night.

Signing for deaf people has a long history, but signing with babies was pioneered recently in the US by Joseph Garcia, whose book Sign with your Baby says: "Babies have control over their hands long before they develop the fine motor skills for speech. Using a few simple gestures can make a big difference in empowering and meeting the needs of your baby."

But just one word of warning. If baby signing doesn't work for the two of you and you feel a failure, you'll feel more frustrated than ever. Be patient, then give it up if it's not for you.

Vasti is holding a Talk2Me workshop in High Wycombe in early October to show parents how to use sign language with their baby. No creche, but non-mobile babies welcome. For details ring (01494) 714131. One-to-one sessions and work with special needs children can also be arranged.



A SERIES of classes on signing with babies is taking place in Amersham each Thursday morning.

It is run by Berkhamsted mum Nicky Woolner, who says: "Baby signing is rapidly becoming a hot topic in parenting circles. I believe it is a great benefit to all the frustrated and anxious parents out there."

Her 12-week classes, part of a growing network called Tinytalk, consist of signing and singing along to nursery rhymes and action songs in a relaxed atmosphere, followed by playtime for babies and social time for mums and dads.

She welcomes parents and babies from birth to two years.

"The classes give babies a grasp of basic signs such as milk, sleep, more and food, which help to calm babies who often become fractious because they are unable to express how they are feeling."

Nicky began signing when her daughter Bea was 13 months old. Now, seven months later, Bea uses 10 signs to say when she wants a drink or her nappy changed.

Tinytalk classes take place each Thursday at 9.45am at St Mary's Church Rooms, Church Road, off the High Street, Old Amersham, £4 per session: (01442) 386587, www.tinytalkuk.com