Baby Craig Turner is just 18 months old but he can already ask his mother for milk or tell her he is in pain using an amazing new form of sign language.

He is not old enough to talk yet, but his mum Ellen, of Three Bridges, has taught him a whole vocabulary of hand signals that allow him to communicate his thoughts and feelings by using a new technique developed in America.

By now, they can almost have a meaningful conversation.

Ellen Turner and Emma Finlay-Smith, of Hove, are among the first parents in Britain to try the method.

Emma's daughter Isobella is 17 months old but she too knows how to communicate with her mum.

Ellen says it has helped her avoid the usual worries parents have with new-born babies because her son is able to "talk" to her, even though he has not yet learned to speak.

She is now giving talks to parents at antenatal classes in Crawley because she says the range of words her child has learned to sign has helped avoid frustration.

She says the technique helps children develop their vocabulary faster, because they already understand a range of words once they learn to speak. She has also set up a web site to pass on information and share experiences.

She said: "Often babies cry or become irritable and parents don't know what they want. The signs work because they are really simple, even for babies. They can make gestures to signify words. Craig might not be able to say many words yet, but he understands.

"Children are very aware at that age but may not have developed enough to be able to talk.

"Craig can tell me when he's hungry, he can ask for more milk and he can tell me he wants to go to the toilet or needs his nappy changed."

Signs include pushing two fingers together, as if squeezing a bottle for milk; pointing to the stairs for the "toilet"; or clasping hands together near the face to say "tired".

The signing technique is based on the ideas of American child psychologist Joseph Garcia who developed the method during research into the age infants begin to have meaningful interaction with their family.