<p>Abstract</p><p>The purpose of the study was to examine if manual signs used as support to spoken and written language can be a god mnemonic for learning of word-pictures. I performed my study as an experiment in which I made a Memory game with word-pictures. I played the game with the children twice. The first time, we played without manual signs and the second time I used sign as a support. I observed the children and noted the words they learned to read with and without the support of manual signs. The result showed that most of the children remembered the word-pictures better if I also used manual signs. The conclusion I made was that manual signs can be a support in early reading development. It does not suit all children so you have to be sensitive to the different strategies used by the children.</p>

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine if manual signs used as support to spoken and written language can be a god mnemonic for learning of word-pictures. I performed my study as an experiment in which I made a Memory game with word-pictures. I played the game with the children twice. The first time, we played without manual signs and the second time I used sign as a support. I observed the children and noted the words they learned to read with and without the support of manual signs. The result showed that most of the children remembered the word-pictures better if I also used manual signs. The conclusion I made was that manual signs can be a support in early reading development. It does not suit all children so you have to be sensitive to the different strategies used by the children.

Denna studie undersöker, via ett experiment, om musik stödjer inlärning av Tecken som Alternativ och/eller Kompletterande Kommunikation. Människor kommunicerar på olika sätt och musik kan vara motivation för lärande. I Förenta Nationernas Konvention om rättigheter för människor med funktionsnedsättning står det om rätten till kommunikation. Människor med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning behöver ofta stöd av omgivningen i sin kommunikations- och språkutveckling. Deltagarna i studien var vuxna med nära relation till personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning som använder eller behöver tecken som alternativ och/eller komplement för sin kommunikation. Deltagarna (40 stycken) var indelade i fyra grupper. Grupperna tilldelades slumpvis fyra olika betingelser: musik eller inte respektive känd eller okänd sång. Sammanlagt genomfördes tre tester av teckenkunskaperna av 20 olika tecken. Testerna genomfördes vid tre tillfällen utspritt över fem veckor. Resultatet visade att deltagarna som för sin inlärning av tecken fått stöd av musik kunde flest tecken efter fem veckor. I studien ges en bakgrund till begreppen musik och musikterapi, kommunikation och språk samt forskning och diskussion av dessa begrepp. Studien ger även förslag på framtida forskningsfrågor inom ämnet. / This study examines, through an experiment, if music supports the learning of manual signs. People communicate in different ways and music can be motivation for learning. In the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities one can read about the right to communication. People with intellectual disabilities often need the support from the environment in their communication and language development. The participants were adults with close relation to people with intellectual disabilities who use or need manual signs as an augmentation and/or an alternative to their communication. The participants (40 in all) were divided into four groups. The groups were randomly assigned to four different conditions: music or not each condition with known or unknown song. In total, in three tests the skills of manual signs of 20 different signs were investigated. The tests were performed three times spread over five weeks. The results showed that participants in their learning of manual signs supported by music had retained most manual signs after five weeks. The study provides a background to the concepts of music and music therapy, communication and language, as well as research and discussion of these concepts. The study also provides suggestions for future research issues in the subject.

Manual signs are an augmentative and alternative communication mode which enables and facilitates communication for persons with impairments in speech, language and hearing. There are different ways of teaching signs to persons with intellectual disabilities. One of them is milieu teaching, which is a method where the teaching takes place in natural settings. This method has proven to give good results in generalization and maintenance. Teaching signs to staff in groups has been shown to be effective. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether sign intervention affected the number of signs and the number of different signs, used by two persons with Down’s syndrome and eleven staff on a day center. The study was carried out as a single-subject design. A sign intervention was conducted at the day center with the two participants with Down’s syndrome. They were educated individually with a procedure inspired by milieu teaching. When the intervention with the two participants was terminated, the staff was educated in a group format. The number of signs and the number of different signs used by the two participants with Down’s syndrome and the staff were registered. The sign intervention with the two participants led to an increased use of signs for one of them and the sign intervention with the staff led to an increased use of signs for the staff together with one of the participants. The main reason for why the sign intervention was effective for one of the two participants with Down’s syndrome and for one group of staff, but not for the other participant or the other group of staff, seems to be that the participants use of signs had an impact on each other. One of the participants with Down’s syndrome and one group of staff seems to have had a positive impact on each others use of signs. The intervention also seems to have been too short and therefore has not given effect for all of the participants.