What is Sign Supported English?

From the Signed Language website: As the name suggests, sign supported English relates to the English language. British Sign Language does not. In a sign language - British or otherwise, the structure of the language is unique to that language. It bears no resemblance to the main spoken language in the country in which it is used.

Sign supported English however, takes the signs from British sign language and uses them in the order that the words would be spoken in English. This means that a working knowledge of the signs for different words is needed in order to understand and use sign supported English, but the more complex grammar is not. This method of signing is also sometimes referred to as conceptually accurate signed language.

Who Can Use Sign Supported English?

Anyone who knows plenty of signs can use sign supported English so as long as you have a good vocabulary, you will be able to manage it. The more signs you know the better, but people who only know a limited number of signs can often get by signing the main words in a sentence and mouthing the others clearly. This of course, relies of the person to whom you are speaking being able to lipread.

Developmental Care for neonates – good practice in nurturing the baby’s mental health

From Babyfirst website: During their stay in the NICU, a baby’s environment is critical to their growth and development. However, each neonate has its own needs, and it’s important to create the appropriate environment. Developmental Care helps neonates with the transition from in-utero to extra-utero. It also supports them with many aspects, including:

- Organization
- Regulation
- Homeostasis
- Competence
- System

Infants who receive developmental care demonstrate improved neurodevelopmental outcomes until the age of two. In addition, they seem less likely to develop long-term disabilities and behavioral problems by 5½ years of age.

Visit: http://www.babyfirst.com/en/neonatal-care/developmental-care.php#

Deafblind Studies – is this for you?

Deafblind Studies is a ‘not for profit’ venture developed by a consortium of charities: Deafblind Scotland, Sense and Sense Scotland. The course is the outcome of almost twenty years of partnership working, with the most experienced practitioners in the field of deafblindness pooling knowledge and resources to produce the best materials and teaching the field can offer.

This unique programme of study is aimed at professionals involved in designing and / or delivering services to deafblind people living in the community or in residential care.

The curriculum explores congenital and acquired deafblindness in detail, is thoroughly grounded in practice and is subject to continuous improvement and refinement. The outcome: workers at the forefront of practice, equipped to meet statutory requirements and duties in relation to deafblindness.

Visit: http://deafblindstudies.org.uk/

Life Story Work in Dementia Care- report from SPRU

Everybody has a life story. These are rich and varied and can be used to communicate who we are to the people around us. People with dementia sometimes need help to communicate their histories and identities, and it has been suggested that life story work could present a way for them to do this more easily.

In 2012 the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York launched the first study of its kind to investigate life story work from first principles.