Week 7 - Key Word Sign

Question 1

Key Word Sign

Answer 1

A simplified form of manual signing
Designed for use by and with people who have communication difficulties
Uses the same signs as the deaf community
Different to deaf signs:
- Speech is used with signs
- Only the key words in a message are signed

Question 2

Principles of Key Word Signing

Answer 2

Always use speech together with the sign
Speak in normal, grammatical sentences
Sign only key words in the sentence
Use facial expression and body language
Use directionality and placement 
Teach signs that are relevant

Question 3

Introducing Key Word Sign

Answer 3

Until speech develops
As a supplement to speech 
As an alternative to speech 
As a temporary means of communication 
As a tool to help communication
To create a communication environment that supports use of AAC

Question 4

Developmental of Intentional Gesture

Answer 4

Follows a predictable developmental path
Closely linked with language development
-24+ months: gesture used with speech, comparable to adults

Question 5

Intentional Gestures - 8-12 months

Answer 5

gesture + vocalisations

Question 6

Intentional Gestures - 12-18 months

Answer 6

Increase in gesture + gesture/speech combinations

Question 7

Intentional Gestures - 18-24 months

Answer 7

Conversational words & gesture/speech combinations

Question 8

Intentional Gestures - 24 months

Answer 8

Decline in gesture, spoken language takes over

Question 9

Intentional Gestures - 24+ months

Answer 9

Gesture used with speech, comparable to adults

Question 10

Deictic Gesture

Answer 10

Eg. eye gaze, show, give, reach, pointing
Emerges around 8-9 months, with pointing ~ 12 months 
Functions: 
- Proto Imperatives 
* requests - "I want"
- Proto Declaratives 
*Comment - "look"
- Interrogative
* Question - "what?"

Question 11

Representational Gesture

Answer 11

Eg. symbolic gestures/iconic gestures
Emerge at around 13 m & when starting to use first words
Have semantic content, used for symbolic reference
Appear to share the same cognitive underpinnings as spoken words
Used less frequently than deictic gestures in typically developing toddlers
May start as ‘gestural social acts’ - learned in social routines, games and songs

Question 12

Deictic Gesture - Children with Autism

Answer 12

More proto imperatives (requests)

Fewer proto declaratives (comments)

Question 13

Deictic Gesture - Down’s Syndrome

Answer 13

More proto declaratives (comments)

Fewer proto declaratives (requests)

Question 14

Deictic Gesture - DLD

Answer 14

Produced fewer of both proto declaratives and imperatives

Question 15

Gesture and Development of Words

Answer 15

Early gestures produced pre-dates and predicts their words
Gesture can facilitate learning
Semantic relations expressed in gesture-speech combinations precede and predict same relations heard in spoken word combinations

Question 16

Gesture as Prognostic Indicator

Answer 16

Use of gesture tends to predict language development for children with language impairments
Gestural skill of developmentally delayed children at 2 years was predictive of late language abilities