New special needs sign language course for families, carers and friends

A BESPOKE sign language course is being started for families, carers and friends of children with special needs.

The Plymouth charity Friends and Families of Special Children and the Plymouth School of British Sign Language have collaborated on the project.

The debut course begins on Monday, June 1, from 10am at the Pilgrim Centre, at Plymouth Argyle's Home Park stadium.

Paul Craven, the school's administrator, explained that the school started last September and the course had been designed by two profoundly deaf teachers – Sue Bevans and Jean Lethbridge.

He said: "The school is well aware, through its involvement with the deaf community, of the difficulties and frustrations that can arise from the inability to freely communicate with and between adults and children.

"So it has designed a course for the families, carers and friends of children with special needs, with the aim of enabling and improving their communication skills to the benefit of the children."

The school is committed to upholding the principles of the British Deaf Association, he said, and teaching British Sign Language in accordance with the BDA's curricula and guidelines.

The BDA has therefore accredited the six-week course, which is not examined or certificated. It will be taught in two-hour lessons, with either a morning or evening class being provided with prior arrangement with the Pilgrim Centre.

Cost is £80 per student with a minimum of 10 students preferred.

Subjects covered include: an introduction to British Sign Language; signing with a baby or toddler, with nursery school children, primary school children and teenagers, and health issues.

After completing the course people can continue their studies on one of the School's Introduction to British Sign Language courses.

For information visit ww.bsl-Plymouth.org. To book contact Kay O'Shaughnessy, at Friends and Families of Special Children, on: 01752

204369 or email: info@friendsandfamily.org.uk.