Finding out if Lámh would be beneficial
Is Lámh useful for everyone with communication needs?
No. There are many types of communication supports available, and different supports will suit different individuals.
A detailed assessment will help to decide if a person needs or can benefit from Lámh. It may be that another communication support would be more useful.
Many people need to be involved in the gathering information leading to such a decision, including parents, carers, early intervention team, speech and language therapist, etc.
And if Lámh is suitable?
Initially, signs may be introduced by the speech therapist or team and used at home, in pre-school/school, etc. Following this, a Lámh course may be useful for the family, SNA, carer or others. Formal training in Lámh has been developed for families and for staff. Courses are delivered by trained Lámh Tutors.
Lámh training not only involves learning signs but the skills necessary to implement a signing programme. Lámh Courses use a problem solving approach. There are over 100 Lámh Tutors around the country and more Tutors will train this year. In addition to this, a new course to train Family Course Trainers will be launched mid-2008. Lámh courses for staff and families are run by Lámh Tutors in organisations around Ireland.Lámh signs may be used with other types of communication and communication support such as gesture, pictures, and/or other systems, as part of a total communication approach.
Implementing a Lámh programme
In order to introduce use of Lámh, all communication partners require information, support and regular communication on progress. Teaching and learning the Lámh sign system is not the same as teaching/ learning to speak, and therefore different skills and supports are required.
More on Lámh and ISL
Many Lámh signs have been adapted from Irish Sign Language (ISL). ISL is a natural sign language and is used by the deaf community in Ireland. There are differences. For example, with Lámh the number of signs used is smaller, the hand positions are less complex, finger spelling is uncommon and the emphasis in the training provided is different.
This close link allows for progression onto more complex ways of communicating. If a Lámh user requires a larger vocabulary, the transition to ISL can be more easily made. This is why manual sign systems from other countries are not used here, as they are based on the sign language of their own country, e.g. Makaton, which is based British Sign Language, American Sign Language, etc.