Research & Projects

Lámh welcomes discussion on any topics or proposals.

Guidelines for third level students doing research on Lámh

  • Limitation of funding and scope has limited the amount of research that can be carried out, so all feedback is valued.

  • If the topic is around experiences or attitudes of Lámh users, their families or other communication partners, Lámh can provide initial discussion for support, background information on Lámh, up-to-date training information and figures, advice and links to relevant research on Lámh, manual sign, augmentative and alternative communication.

  • Digital/Technical Projects If the topic has a technical or practical basis, Lámh can provide the above items also. In addition for this type of project, Lámh acknowledges that equipment and technical expertise that would otherwise prove expensive (and therefore perhaps prohibitive), can be of great value and is therefore of interest to Lámh.
    Lámh signs and materials are copyright to Lámh - Communication Augmentation Sign System Ltd, and programmes have been developed and are delivered with particular practices and ethos in mind.
    Therefore the following must be taken into account: Projects proposing to use Lámh signs or materials must be submitted and an agreement will be put in place. Any products or outcomes using Lámh signs and materials will become the property of Lámh as will any further developments may come from the project or piece of work.

  • On completion of the project, Lámh asks for a copy of the project to be sent to the Lámh Development Office, and must be notified re: publication of the research, part of the research or any promotional material/information including online.

Lámh can be used for not for profit projects only. Make sure to contact the Lámh Development Office to inform them of your project.

Using Lámh Signs with Music Groups

School choirs and music groups sometimes use Lámh signs with songs or have linked with choirs in their community for Lámh music projects.

Contact the Lámh Office and please share your videos with us on Facebook and Instagram! Please note that Lámh can be used for not for profit projects only.

Get support and Get the Lámh signs right!

It’s really important to remember that for some people Lámh is their main method of communication so when you're starting out with using Lámh signs with music, please do get the advice of a Lámh Tutor. They can be a great resource to help you plan your project, or contact the Lámh Office. You’ll need to choose your songs and they will help you plan which signs to include. Make sure everyone has the time to learn the songs and signs! The more key people who attend Lámh training, the better for everyone involved.

Sometimes you may be asked to teach some signs, or to give advice about Lámh use, as you are signing as part of your group - it's really important that you can share the Lámh website information, other information about Lámh and also encourage links with the family's speech and language therapist or support service, so that everyone gets the right information.

How do we link the signs with song words?

Use Lámh-a-Song 1 & 2 on Vimeo (free and paid content available) or DVD as a model for how you might plan your songs with signs. Our Instagram account often has sing and sign videos up, Sign of the Week, stories and other videos. You'lll notice not every word is signed - Lámh is a key word sign system and only some words are signed. There are 588 Lámh signs, so some words of songs won’t have Lámh signs for them.

How will we explain to others what Lámh is?

So that everyone involved - participants, families, audience, school - knows how important Lámh is to the children and adults that use Lámh to communicate, direct them to our website www.lamh.org. Perhaps a Lámh Tutor or Lámh Support Person can introduce Lámh at your rehearsals or performances.

Guidelines for Secondary School Students Doing Projects About Lámh

Some secondary students have completed projects about Lámh. They have included projects about promoting Lámh use, linking with students who are Lámh users and using Lámh with music. An example of the project is the Live, Lámh, Live LOL project by the Social Innovator group at St Mary's Secondary School, Ballina, Co Mayo.

  • Find out about Lámh: You can look at our website or Facebook page, email us and read the What is Lámh? Leaflet.

  • Sharing is good: Contact us to tell us about your plan. This way, we can give you some more information and perhaps use your ideas to help others. You can also put up news about your project on our website.

  • Remember to include Lámh users in your project: Lámh is used by many children, teenagers and adults with intellectual disability and communication needs. They and their families, friends, teachers and SNAs are the experts in Lámh signing in your area, so be sure to link in with them.

 

Remember, this must be a not-for-profit project!