Need help: sign language DVD for autistic child?

[DebJ]

I've just begun teaching an autistic child, age 6, at his home, until the school system can determine the best placement in our system for him. He has not used any language as yet, although I did repeatedly hear him attempt to say the 2 colors that he knows, blue ("ooo") and red ("rrr"), so he is able to make some connections between symbols and the world.

The parents live in dire poverty and have nearly nothing, except a television. I only am allowed 5 hours per week with the child, so my objective is to teach some signs to the mother (who is with him all of the time), who can then repeatedly use them with her child.

He loves music, and I would love to find a DVD with music that has basic, useable signs, preferably requiring miminal hand coordination, for example, "blue" is more do-able than "green". I would REALLY appreciate any suggestions from DVDs you have actually seen.

Off-topic, this child is so absolutely beautiful that after each of the first two lessons the tragedy of his life just crushed me into tears. After that, seeing him giggle and laugh, and allowing me to touch him to sign 'blue' and 'red', lifted my spirits a bit. He is just so beautiful.

On edit: I am not special ed certified, although as a recent teacher graduate I did receive some training. I'm not even pre-school, I am Social Studies 7-12. But our autistic teachers are soooooo exhausted after fulfilling their daytime jobs, with 8-10 students in very small rooms and almost no assistance (maybe one personal aide), they tried but can't handle after school work too. So any other beginning suggestions would also be appreciated, though it's not going badly.

[vi5]

1. My son learned using these

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=signing+times

The Signing Times series. My son had (has) a tracheostomy so he was unable to speak or babble when he was an infant. These use singing and signs and big movements to teach basic sign language. You might want to start with Baby Signing Times which is the earliest age bracket in the series. But they are all great and designed and presented by 2 sisters, one of whom has a deaf child. And they are based on American Sign Language.

My son is 4 now and he still loves to watch these. And he still signs like a champ. May be more challenges involved with an autistic child, but I think these are still the best available for what you are looking for.

[DebJ]

2. Thank you very much. I have free shipping with Amazon too.

[YOY]

3. My daughter loves Alex and Leah. It's a genuinely cute series.

n.t.

[vi5]

4. My older daughter loved them as well...

..and she was almost 6 years old when her brother came home from the hospital and started watching those. It's a great series. I wish more parents would play these for kids instead of some other things they tend to put on. It was so great not only for my son and daughter to be able to communicate using this, but it also helped my daughter when she encountered other kids at school with issues that necessitated them learning sign language.