Assessing language skills in adult key word signers with intellectual disabilities: Insights from sign linguistics.
Manual signing is one of the most widely used approaches to support the communication and language skills of children and adults who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, and problems with communication in spoken language. A recent series of papers reporting findings from this population raises critical issues for professionals in the assessment of multimodal language skills of key word signers. Approaches to assessment will differ depending on whether key word signing (KWS) is viewed as discrete from, or related to, natural sign languages. Two available assessments from these different perspectives are compared. Procedures appropriate to the assessment of sign language production are recommended as a valuable addition to the clinician's toolkit. Sign and speech need to be viewed as multimodal, complementary communicative endeavours, rather than as polarities. Whilst narrative has been shown to be a fruitful context for eliciting language samples, assessments for adult users should be designed to suit the strengths, needs and values of adult signers with intellectual disabilities, using materials that are compatible with their life course stage rather than those designed for young children.
Tizard Centre, University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent CT2 7LR, United Kingdom. Electronic address: drnicolagrove@fastmail.net.
Nicola
N
Grove
DCAL, 49 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD, United Kingdom.
Bencie
B
Woll
D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D007807:Language Tests; D008037:Linguistics; D033262:Narration; D012813:Sign Language
Augmentative and alternative communication; Intellectual disability; Key word signing; Language assessment; Manual signing; Narrative task; Sign language