Communication Approaches Currently in Use in the Education of Deaf Children and Young People in the UK
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Communication approaches currently in use in the education of deaf children and young people in the UK BATOD’s role in this document is to describe the range of communication approaches currently in use in the UK. BATOD does not endorse any one particular approach. The Association’s aim is to promote excellence in the education of deaf children and young people through whichever approach is being used. Statement of Entitlement All children and young people have the right to a language and/or developed communication system which enables them to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and for a variety of purposes, including accessing education. Communication Choices Once a child has been diagnosed with a significant hearing loss his/her parents may be confronted with making a decision about the communication approach they, and the child, should adopt. In order to participate fully in making this decision, parents should have clear and unbiased information about the possible options. Their choice may depend on a number of factors such as the family situation and home language, whether the child has additional special educational needs, and perhaps the degree of deafness. Outside influences such as accessibility to a peer group using the same communication approach, and the range of educational placements available may also affect preference. Having taken these factors into consideration, parents may also weigh up the philosophical arguments and possible outcomes of the different approaches. Broadly speaking communication approaches can be categorised under 3 main headings: auditory/oral, manually coded English, and sign bilingualism. The future aims of parents undertaking these approaches might be: Auditory/Oral We want our child to speak, write and understand spoken and written English. To attain these goals we will need to make optimum use of our child’s residual hearing and to interact with him/her using spoken language. Manually Coded English (MCE) We also want our child to speak, write and understand spoken and written English but we think that by using a supplementary manual system we can establish a means/ease of communication. Eventually we hope this will lead to fluent verbal conversations. Sign Bilingualism I want my child to have his/her easiest/preferred/natural way of communicating, so that he/she will have access to the Deaf Community and functional (perhaps written) use of English. BSL will be our child’s first language. The selected approach should be based on the child’s communication needs, parental preference and following detailed assessment by all concerned with the child’s development. In due course, as the child develops and matures, respect should be accorded to his/her views about the choice of, and expressed preference for, a particular mode of communication. In addition to the Communication Approaches outlined above, different methods or modes under each heading may be used to try to fulfil the ultimate aims. These, as well as clarification of terms associated with the communication of deaf people, are detailed below. COMMUNICATION APPROACHES AUDITORY/ORAL APPROACHES The majority of deaf children will have sufficient hearing, through the use of appropriate audiological aids, to develop understanding of spoken language and to acquire intelligible speech. It is expected that they will follow a similar process of language acquisition to that of hearing children. Auditory/Oral approaches include the following: 1.1 The Natural Aural approach which fosters the development of spoken language. Meaningful interaction and conversation encourage the growth of auditory discrimination skills, using everyday experience rather than through direct teaching. The Maternal Reflective or Graphic Oral method. In many cases the Natural Aural Approach is often supported using written back-up. However, within this Approach, The Maternal Reflective or Graphic Oral method prescribes the use of writing down a great deal of what is said during a lesson. This may be shown in a conversational format, and then used for reflection (hence ‘reflective’) i.e. pupils being encouraged to look back at what at what was said in conversations in which they participated. The intention is that through reflecting pupils can then understand the structure and rules of the language they are learning. It is termed ‘maternal’ because it takes as its model the way in which mothers and other family members encourage communication and language development with their hearing infants, i.e. through conversation. 1.2 Structured Oral approaches which are used to encourage one or more of the following: • speech acquisition • language development • optimum use of residual hearing • lipreading (speech reading) The approach demands the planning of structured processes involving systematic teaching. 1.3 Lipreading (or speech reading) This is the understanding of speech through the recognition of the facial patterns of different phonemes and groups of phonemes forming words in context. Good language levels will usually aid the ability to lipread. Many deaf people use both lipreading and their residual hearing to aid communication. 1.4 Auditory Verbal Therapy A parent centred approach which seeks to develop spoken language through a structured programme based on a highly enhanced auditory and language input. For example, listening skills are organised on a hierarchy of auditory difficulty from detection to comprehension. An Auditory Verbal Therapist helps parents to carry out programmes/exercises with their child. APPROACHES IN WHICH THERE IS A MANUAL COMPONENT TO SUPPLEMENT SPOKEN LANGUAGE – MANUALLY CODED ENGLISH (MCE) MCE approaches include the following: 2.1. Total Communication (TC) The original definition (Denton 1968 – USA) referred more to a philosophy than a communication approach or method. Denton described it as ‘the full spectrum of language modes, child devised gesture, the language of signs, speech reading, finger spelling, reading, writing and residual hearing’ There is now much variation in its interpretation and use. Some people see it as a flexible approach to communication in which children may vary in how they receive and express language. Therefore, they may use a variety of modes such as aural/oral communication, British Sign Language (BSL), fingerspelling, Sign Supported English or Signs Supporting English (SSE). Others describe it as a method in which signed and auditory/oral components are combined, i.e. SSE is used. 2.2 Fingerspelling This is the manual representation of the letters of the alphabet by 26 different hand positions. In the UK this is accomplished by means of a two-handed alphabet but other variants exist. Fingerspelling is an integral part of sign language and sign supporting systems. 2.3 Sign Supported English or Signs Supporting English (SSE). This is a manual support system incorporating signs taken from BSL together with fingerspelling. It is used in English word order to supplement spoken words but does attempt to present every element of the spoken utterance. Its aim is to clarify the spoken message and lessen ambiguity. 2.4 Signed English (British) Signs taken from BSL together with generated signs and markers, are used, with fingerspelling to give an exact manual representation of spoken English. It is used primarily as a tool for the teaching of reading and writing. 2.5 Makaton This comprises a specially selected vocabulary (taken from BSL) to provide a basis for communication, often with children with severe learning difficulties. It is structured in stages of increasing complexity and follows the normal pattern of language development. The initial stages comprise basic vocabulary necessary to express some essential needs. Subsequent stages contain more complex language. 2.6 Signalong Signalong was devised as a more flexible approach to that offered by Makaton and was considered as primarily for children with speech and language and/or learning difficulties or autism. The signs used are nearly all drawn from BSL and are delivered in conjunction with spoken language. 2.7 Cued Speech A one-handed supplement to spoken language devised to clarify the phonemes of language that are ambiguous or invisible in lip-reading. 2.8 Paget-Gorman Signed Speech (Previously Paget-Gorman Systematic Sign Language [PGSS]) This is a simultaneous grammatical representation of spoken English, for use as an aid to the teaching of language. The signs have been artificially developed within a logical system but do not correspond to BSL national or regional signs. 2.9 Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) A means by which an individual can supplement or replace spoken communication. Often use is made of a symbol system such as Bliss, Rebus or Makaton symbols. Objects of reference and objects of significance may be used in the earliest stages of communication, especially for deaf/blind children and those with a dual or multi-sensory impairment. The objects of reference may be selected from a chart, board, or vocabulary book, either mechanically or electronically, to form sentences. Picture Exchange Communication (PECs) and pictured symbols (Picsyms) are also used to encourage choice and empower pupils to make choices. Widget is a computer programme that produces symbols at the same time as words are typed, thereby offering extra information for the learner. Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) are devices whose primary function is to use electronically stored speech as a means of communication. In it's broadest sense, the term could apply to everything from a speaking birthday card to sophisticated communication software. SIGN BILINGUALISM This is an approach to the education of deaf children in which the language of the Deaf Community (BSL) and the language of the hearing community (English) are used. Generally the child’s first language is BSL and the spoken language of the family is learned as a second language. This may be through speech or a combination of speech and sign (e.g. SSE), or through the written form, or through all of them. It should be noted that in some cases BSL will also be the language of the family.