Key Word Sign - a review

Urana hosted the first of our Key Word Sign workshops last Wednesday and it was fantastic!  Presenter Kimberley Burgess (ADHC), delivered a very relevant and comprehensive introductory training that we have all agreed will be very beneficial as a communication aid.

Essentially, Key Word Sign provides us with the ability to use gestures, facial expressions and words to assist in language development and communication.  It is not sign language and is not for use with children who are completely deaf.  However, it aids in communication by providing a consistent set of supporting hand and body movements that act like a visual.  When used alongside verbal direction, it provides the person viewing and listening, the added time to think about the information and to have a memory of an action.  Key Word Sign draws out just the relevant pieces of the information to gesture.

From the Key Word Sign website: www.kwsnsw.com you can find some useful resource links including video demonstration of the signs - KWS Useful Links.

The next training is in Albury this Wednesday, 28th August 2013.  Please contact me if you would like to attend - sara.stockman@cw.org.au.  $10 only! 9.30am - 2.30pm.
Hosted by CareWest and My Word Speech Therapy, Albury.

The manual Getting Started will be provided to each attendee thanks to CareWest.  If it is not available at the time of training, it will be posted out to you.