There is no universal sign language. In fact, there are somewhere between 138 and 300 different types of sign language used throughout the world today. 

The most spoken sign language in the world is Saudi Sign Language.  American Sign Language (ASL) is the fifth most spoken sign language in the world.  It is native to the  United States, Canada and Guatemala and also used in varying degrees in Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Mauritania, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe.

Learn more about sign languages around the world here:

In America, both American Sign Language (ASL) and Pidgin Signed English (PSE or SE) are used.  Signed English is basically a bridge between English and ASL.  In both SE and ASL, the basic signs for words are the same; however, with SE a sign is executed for every word in a sentence.  In SE, one communicates through different signs and fingerspelling and with English grammar. ASL seeks to convey concepts and has its own language and grammar.