JCPSLP Vol 14 No 2 2012

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Complex communication needs
JCPSLP Volume 14, Number 2 2012 79
Eva Wei-Lyn Loh
Keywords
AAC
INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITY
SERVICE
DELIVERY
SIGNING
little is known about the use of KWS&G in Singapore (Loh
& Singh, 2011), and as a result, KWS&G has not been
adapted to cater specifically to the needs and culture of our
community.
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled
of Singapore (MINDS)
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore
(MINDS, is one of the largest
organisations that provides special education and training-
employment services to children and adults with moderate-
to-severe intellectual disability in Singapore. MINDS runs
four schools, three employment development centres, three
training development centres, and one residential home
facility.
Typically within MINDS, there is one full-time speech
therapist employed per school. Due to funding constraints,
speech therapy positions initially only existed in MINDS
Little is known about the use of Key Word
Sign and Gesture (KWS&G) as an approach
for persons with complex communication
needs in Singapore. The current paper shares
the findings from a pilot study that
implemented KWS&G (Australia) within a
special education school for children with
intellectual disabilities, and trained parents
and teachers in using KWS&G. The paper
also reports the preliminary results from the
pre- and post-pilot study questionnaire. After
receiving training, parents and teachers
found KWS&G (Australia) to be useful in
facilitating communication between the child/
student and themselves. A supportive signing
environment was also important in order for
KWS&G to be embraced by staff. The team is
looking into implementing KWS&G (Australia)
as an interim common signing approach
across the organisation, while looking
forward to the possibility of developing
KWS&G (Singapore) in the near future.
Background information
Key Word Sign and Gesture
Key Word Sign and Gesture (KWS&G), a form of
augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), has
benefits on facilitating understanding and expression for
individuals with complex communication needs. It has been
well documented that KWS&G has positive effects on
speech development (Millar, Light, & Schlosser, 2000, cited
in Cress & Marvin, 2003), vocabulary development, and
social interaction (Kahn, 1981, cited in Cress & Marvin,
2003), as well as perceived speech intelligibility (Powell &
Clibbens, 1994).
The KWS&G approach is not new and has been
developed for individuals with multiple and severe
disabilities, formally beginning in the United Kingdom in
the 1970s with the introduction of Makaton (The Makaton
Charity, 2012). Despite the fact that KWS&G (including
Makaton) is used in over 40 countries worldwide to support
the communication of hearing children/adults who are
unable to speak or whose speech is difficult to understand,
Clinical insights
Making Key Word Sign and Gesture happen in Singapore:
Findings from a pilot study
Eva Wei-Lyn Loh