Blissymbolics
Bliss is a symbol system first introduced as an alternative means of communication for children with physical impairments more than 20 years ago. The symbols are abstract rather than iconic, and can be built up to represent complex ideas and a very comprehensive vocabulary. Bliss was designed to be an international language and has attracted a great deal of interest from linguists. Blissymbol Communication UK. ACE Centre, 92 Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DR. Tel: 01608 676455
email: Hazel@ace-centre.org.uk
link: http://www.symbols.net/blissre.htm
Braille
Braille is a method of reading by touch. It consists of patterns of raised dots, with a different pattern representing each letter. There are also patterns which represent more commonly used words (e.g. and, the, with). Braille is usually written on a machine called a brailler which resembles a typewriter. Braille readers use their fingers to read from left to right across the page by feeling the raised dots. The alphabet is set out in three rows to show how the pattern of letters is built up. RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind), 224 Great Portland Street, London W1N 6AA. Tel: 0207 388 1266
email: helpline@rnib.org.uk
link: http://www.rnib.org.uk
BSL (British Sign Language)
BSL is the language of the deaf community. Used by around 70,000 deaf people in Britain, it is an independent language with its own grammar and idiom. It is a rich, full and diverse language, capable of expressing nuance and abstract ideas using a mixture of precise hand shapes, lip movements, facial expressions and body movements to convey meaning.
Chailey Communication System
The Chailey Communication System is a comprehensive communication system designed to incorporate a range of alternative systems e.g. pictures, photographs, Rebus, Makaton symbols, Blissymbols and words by using a shared indexing system. The system grows with the child. A full symbol vocabulary for rights issues, private body parts and abusive acts is included. Information: Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, Beggars Wood Road, North Chailey, East Sussex, BN8 4JN. Tel: 01825 722112, Sales: Chailey Heritage Enterprise Centre, Chailey Heritage, North Chailey, East Sussex, BN8 4EF. Tel & Fax: 01825 724376
email: check@chec.co.uk
link: http://www.chec.co.uk
Cued speech
Cued speech is a system for facilitating lip reading. Some words which sound different to hearing people can look very similar when they are lip-read by deaf people (e.g. pat and but). Cued speech uses eight hand shapes and four hand locations, combined with speech, to highlight the differences between spoken words. NDCS (The National Deaf Children’s Society), 15 Dufferin Street, London EC1Y 8UR. Tel: 0207 250 0123
email: helpline@ndcs.org.uk.
link: http://www.ndcs.org.uk
Deaf-blind manual alphabet
Deaf-blind children use different communication methods depending on how much sight and hearing they have. Some can hear speech, lip read or use sign language. Others rely on the deaf-blind manual alphabet: words are spelt on the child’s hand using hand shapes similar to those in the deaf manual alphabet. Deaf blind children may also use objects of reference. SENSE, The National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association, 11-13 Finsbury Park, London N4 3SR. Tel: 0207 272 7774
email: enquiries@sense.org.uk
link: http://www.sense.org.uk
Finger spelling (or standard manual alphabet)
In Britain, both hands are used together to make different shapes to represent each of the letters of the alphabet. Finger spelling is used to spell out names, or words for which there is no sign, to supplement BSL, Signed English or Sign Supported English. In Makaton some finger spelling is also used, often the first letter of names. British Deaf Association, 1-3 Worship Street, London EC2A 2AB. Tel: 0207 588 3520
email: info@bda.org.uk
link: http://www.bda.org.uk
Lip reading
Involves reading the patterns that people make with their lips when they speak. Lip reading incorporates a great deal of expression ‘reading’ and requires much concentration. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish a word where the same, or very similar, lip pattern is used (see also cued speech).
email: info@bda.org.uk
link: http://www.bda.org.uk
Makaton Language Programme
Makaton was specifically designed for children and adults with communication, language and literacy problems and uses a small nucleus vocabulary of essential words required for everyday conversation, which can be added to from an extensive resource vocabulary. Manual signs and graphic symbols are used together with speech to provide a visual representation of language. Makaton Vocabulary Development Project, 31 Firwood Drive, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3QD. Tel: 01276 61390
email: mvdp@makaton.org
link: http://www.makaton.org
Mayer Johnson PCS symbols
The Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) were originally designed to create professional looking communication aids both quickly and inexpensively. They are now also used extensively in education. There are over 4000 PCS symbols in both black and white and colour. The vocabulary includes both pictorial and abstract symbols. Widgit Software Ltd., 26 Queen’s Street, Cubbington, Leamington Spa, CV32 7NA Tel: 01926 885303
email: sales@widgit.com
link: http://www.widgit.com
Moon
Moon is a system of reading by touch using raised shapes. It is more commonly used by people who have lost their sight later in life, and also by blind or partially sighted people who find Braille too difficult to feel or to learn, preferring a system which uses shapes that are more like the written word.
email: helpline@rnib.org.uk
link: http://www.rnib.org.uk
Objects of reference
Objects of reference are used with children who have profound learning disability and with children with dual sensory impairment and have additional impairments. This said, many children ‘naturally’ use objects to communicate in their early years, e.g. fetching a cup to indicate drink; a coat to indicate that they want to go out.
Paget Gorman signed speech
This is a sign system used at the same time as spoken language to make clear the structure of the English language by communicating the rules of grammar and syntax. It is the earliest of the contrived systems (1934). The Paget Gorman Society, 2 Dowlands Bungalows, Dowlands Lane, Smallfield, Surrey RH6 9SD. Tel: 0134 284 2308 www.pgs.org
email: PruP@compuserve.com
link: http://www.speechtherapyservices.co.uk
Photographs
Photographs can sometimes be more meaningful than symbols or line drawings. However, they may also be more restrictive, e.g. they may come to mean ‘this specific cup’ rather than ‘drink’.
Rebus symbols
Rebus symbols were originally developed as a way of helping children to read. This collection of stylised pictures is now widely used with children and adults
email: sales@widgit.com
link: http://www.widgit.com
RNID (The Royal National Institute for Deaf People)
19-23 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8SL Tel: 0808 808 0123
email: helpline@rnid.org.uk
link: http://www.rnid.org.uk
Signalong
This is a sign supporting system based on BSL. It is designed to help children and adults with learning disabilities to acquire language skills and to aid where there are communication difficulties. The extensive vocabulary of signs is mostly based on BSL and is used in English word order. Signalong is intended for use in environments in which English is the main language. The Signalong Group, Communication & Language Centre, North Pondside, Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TY. Tel: 01634 819915
link: http://www.signalong.org.uk
Signed English (SE)/Sign Supported English(SSE)
Signed English is intended for use at the same time as spoken English. Signs are used in spoken word order. SE makes use of signs taken from BSL as well as signs which have been especially designed for use only in Signed English. It also uses finger spelling to give an exact representation of spoken English.
Symbols
There are a number of pictorial symbol systems currently in use in the UK, including PCS, Rebus, Makaton. All are similar in that they are a way of representing meaning in a graphic form. Some are more pictorial than others but all rely on the child being able to assign meaning to the symbol and remember it over time. Software programs enable writing with symbols e.g. Inclusive Writer and Writing with Symbols 2000.
email: sales@widgit.com
link: http://www.widgit.com
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an approach that teaches early communication skills using pictures rather than words or signing, in a significantly different way from more traditional picture-pointing systems. With PECS, children are taught to exchange pictures for something they want. For example, if they want a drink they will give a picture of a drink to an adult who immediately responds with the requested item. Sue Baker, Pyramid Educational Consultants UK Ltd., 17 Prince Albert Street, Brighton, East Sussex. BN1 1HF. Tel: 01273 728888
email: sbaker@pecs-uk.com
link: http://www.pecs-uk.com