WHAT IS IT ?

The development of signed communication

(Preface to the English Edition of Signalong Phase 1)

The development of signed communication (Preface to the English Edition of Signalong Phase 1) Communication has never been simply a matter of words. In the animal world posture, gestures and, where possible, facial expression are more important than vocalisation, and in human interaction we all draw information from body language and facial expression.

People who are unable to communicate verbally have used some form of sign language for many hundreds of years. Native North American tribes with different spoken languages communicated with each other using a system of gestures - Amerind - which is still practised today and is used as an alternative method of communication1. The first record of a codified signing system was the work of Abbé Sicard and Jean Massieu from Bordeaux over 200 years ago, and signing became recognised as the principal means of communication for born-deaf people until the rise of oralism led to nearly a century of frustration and misery for the hearing impaired2.

It is noticeable that the formation of signs in different national sign languages may vary quite considerably while their grammatical structures are broadly similar, and may be completely different from the spoken language of the country. This means that the profoundly deaf person whose first language is British Sign Language (BSL) must learn a new language with different syntax and expression of concepts in order to master English.

For those whose language disorder is not the result of hearing impairment this presents an additional problem, since most live in a hearing environment where English is the language used. BSL has been adapted, and there are other systems which have been introduced, in order to cater for this group. Paget Gorman Signed Speech3 was "one of the first of the contrived systems", with an extensive lexicon and the facility for grammatical signing; it is primarily used for people with specific speech disorders not related to learning disabilities. Within the spectrum of signing based on British Sign Language, there are systems ranging from pure BSL, through to Sign Supported English4. It is the last of these which has been particularly useful in the field of communication in learning disabilities.

In 1969 Lisl Levett, Speech & Language Therapist at Meldreth Manor School, produced a book of mime demonstrated in photographs5. This was the first published example of the use of visual communication to support spoken English in a school for children with cerebral palsy and severe learning difficulties6 (termed "subnormality" in those days). Although it was not widely adopted, Thelma Grove, later one of the originators of Signalong, found it useful in her work as a Speech & Language Therapist with autistic children.

The concept was further developed by Cornforth, Johnson and Walker at Botleys Park Hospital, an institution for adults with learning disabilities. Their 1974 paper7 reported on studies with deaf adults, and in 1976 the vocabulary was expanded to incorporate some words which were necessary for the system to be applied with children8. Work on "Makaton", a combination of the joint originators' first names, was assisted by the Royal Association in aid of the Deaf and Dumb (now the R.A.D). The Makaton Vocabulary Development Project was very successful in promoting the use of signing to support communication and is largely responsible for the general acceptance of visual communication in the field of learning difficulties.

During the 1980s many practitioners found a need for a more flexible approach than was offered by Makaton. Intensive work on early intervention by Pat le Prévost and colleagues in Oxfordshire9 led to the publication of a 150-sign vocabulary in 1990, called " See & Say"10. Also in this period several studies on the development of language were published, and in Abbey Court School in Kent the Derbyshire Language Scheme (DLS)11 and Living Language12 programmes were introduced. The full-time language teacher, Gill Kennard, and Thelma Grove, who by then had become Speech and Language Therapy Manager for Medway Health Authority, found that they needed more signs to apply these language programmes effectively. Although they were both Makaton Co-ordinators, they had been unable to obtain the additional vocabulary from the MVDP, and in 1991 decided that a new approach was required.

They began to formulate a vocabulary loosely based on DLS word levels, recruiting Linda Hall to produce line drawings. In the testing of the signs knowledge of the work became known in the area, and the authors came under pressure to publish the vocabulary. Signalong Phase 1 was first published in April 1992 and is now in use throughout Britain. The response to Phase 1, with constant requests for new vocabulary, demonstrated that the authors were correct in their belief that a prescriptive vocabulary was of limited value. The Signalong Group is seeking to offer a wide-ranging selection of signs to facilitate communication which will enable people with learning disabilities to take more control of their own lives and to make more of their own decisions. The Basic Vocabulary is intended to act as the core around which more specialised resources can be used.

Signalong is based on British Sign Language. Nearly all of the signs are unaltered BSL, with the most iconic signs being selected where a choice exists. There are a few signs which have been adapted for ease of use, and some signs have been generated where no appropriate BSL sign could be found or where ambiguity could have arisen.

It must be stressed that the primary purpose of Signalong is to assist communication in cases of language problems associated with learning disabilities. While we consult our friends in the Deaf community about the signs, it is a sign-supporting system intended for use in environments where English is the main language. That being said, a number of teachers of BSL use the manuals as a vocabulary resource and the earliest large order for Phase 1 manuals was from Hi Kent (Hearing Impaired Association) in July 1992. The combination of clear line drawings and detailed instructions has been recognised as a major contribution to the library of published signs. While each of the manuals goes through rigorous testing procedures before final publication, the Signalong Group realises that mistakes sometimes occur, important concepts may be omitted and that other improvements can be made. Signalong is a dynamic system, constantly growing and we welcome comments and suggestions.

References
1. "Technology & Alternative and Augmentative Communication", College of Speech and Language Therapists, London, 1993.
2. Evans, N., "Pictures in the Mind", Channel 4, 1987
3. "Paget Gorman Signed Speech", Paget Gorman Society, London, 1990.
4. Smith, C., "Sign in Sight", Souvenir Press, London, 1992.
5. Levett, L.M., "A Method of Communication for Non Speaking Severely Subnormal Children", Spastics Society (now SCOPE), Meldreth Manor School, Royston, 1969.
6. Levett, L..M., ., "A Method of Communication for Non Speaking Severely Subnormal Children - Trial Results", Brit. J. Dis. Commun., 1969.
7. Cornforth, A., Johnson, K., Walker, M., "Makaton Vocabulary: Teaching Sign Language to the Deaf Mentally Handicapped", Apex, June 1974.
8. Walker, M., "The Makaton Vocabulary: a Progress Report", Apex, March 1976.
9. Le Prevost, P.A., "Development of a Programme of Early Intervention for All Children with Downs Syndrome in Oxfordshire", Speech Therapy in Practice, 1987.
10. Le Prevost, P.A., "See and Say", T.F.H., Stourport, 1990.
11. Masidlover, M. and Knowles, W., "Derbyshire Language Scheme", Derbyshire County Council, 1979.
12. Locke, A., "Living Language - Before Words", NFER-Nelson, Windsor, 1985