A REVOLUTIONARY system could help end the communication nightmare which sends East Lancashire parents ga-ga.

All parents know the frustration of getting to the end of the what's wrong with baby?' checklist (not hungry, doesn't need changing, isn't teething) without any joy.

But that could change when the area's first baby signing classes, which teach children to talk' through basic sign language before they can speak, begin at the end of this month. And not a moment too soon, according to the women behind the classes, Julie Ryder and Susan Broxton. "A six-month-old baby has enough dexterity to sign with their hands," explained Susan, 35, of Plantation View, Weir.

"They know what they want better than they can say it.

"You can teach your baby basic signs very quickly and naturally so they can communicate with you before they can speak."

A baby can learn to communicate everything from "I want more milk" to something as complex as "I want my crocodile-shaped dummy."

Pals Julie and Susan spotted a gap in the market after hearing about the popularity of baby sign classes in America and more recently in the south of England.

About 20 years ago, American doctor Joseph Garcia found babies who had deaf parents were communicating far earlier than those with hearing parents.

He conducted research and found babies exposed to regular sign language from the age of seven months could communicate as early as eight months.

An adult sits in front of the baby, making the sign with their hands whilst speaking the word. At the same time a picture representing the word is held up in front of the baby.

Julie, 35, of Todmorden Road, Bacup, set up company TalkFirst and devised the lesson plans and accompanying materials.

Susan will be running the classes as the company's first franchisee. And if all goes to plan, Julie hopes to set up a Blackburn-based class before Easter.

Julie said: "Babies can start taking in information from newborn although it will be about six or seven months before they can sign back.

"One good example is of a dad looking after his child when it started crying.

"The child did the sign for dummy. He got a dummy but the baby didn't stop crying.

"Then it did the sign for the crocodile. It meant it didn't want that dummy, but the crocodile one."

The classes are set to music and a lifesize jester puppet called Dexter leads the group, teaching eight signs each week.

And mother-of-three Susan said she believed in the system so passionately because of the success she had had with her own younger boys, two-year-old Lucas and 16-month-old Isaac.

To find out more about the sessions, call Susan Broxton on 01706 878781.