Sign language for hearing babies

Every morning, when Corinthian Barthelmess’s tummy rumbles for her breakfast banana, she lets her daddy know. She communicates not through whining or babbling or pointing, but through sign language.
“Banana” is a favorite sign of this sweet-natured 14-month-old girl, who has been learning American Sign Language the past several months. Through signs, Cori, whose hearing is fine, is able to let her parents, Tara and Leo Barthelmess, know when she’s hungry, which seems to be all the time.

The toddler bounces with excitement as she and her mom sign to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” She even rubs her knuckles together to let the on-duty parent know when it’s time for a diaper change.

“It’s amazing how much she has learned,” said Cori’s mom, Tara, a 29-year-old interior designer. “When we started this, I didn’t know how much was going to come of it. But when she started signing, it was so thrilling.”

Cori is one of a group of hearing toddlers and infants who have taken a class, based on American Sign Language, with their hearing parents at The Parent Connection, 5326 E. Pima St.