Lámh, the manual sign system used by children and adults with intellectual disability and communication needs, have joined with Down Syndrome Ireland in producing a new nursery rhyme DVD. The Lámh-a-Song DVD gives young users the chance to see Lámh signs on the TV screen for the first time, with each of the 15 popular songs on the DVD presented through vivid animation and a rich soundtrack that appeals to younger viewers. Lámh which was developed in the early 1980s and has a vocabulary of 500 signs, is used in Ireland by children and adults with Down syndrome, as well as those with intellectual disability, physical disability and autism. The DVD costs €15 plus €1.50 post and packing. See www.lamh.org for more details.
Gemma Clerkin, Lámh Board member, notes that ‘the Lámh-a Song DVD will be of most benefit when used as a shared activity with the child. It is also a great reference source for the child’s communication partner to use the songs and signs in face-to-face interactions’.
Deputy Finian McGrath T.D (Ind) who is a parent of a daughter with Down syndrome and a former Chairperson of the Dublin branch of Down Syndrome Ireland, warmly welcomed the launch of the DVD as a major educational tool for children with a disability. “It’s great for children, adults and families, and a major communication support”, said the North Central TD.
Speaking at the launch, Gráinne Murphy of the Down Syndrome Ireland National Resource Team, said that: “The Lamh-a-Song DVD is highly recommendable and an invaluable resource for both families and professionals. The use of signs in promoting and maintaining communication development in individuals with Down syndrome is firmly grounded in research”.
The project was kindly supported by Bank of Scotland, Ireland. Lámh is grant aided by the Health Service Executive.
Tuesday 13th October 2009
For more information, please contact:
Mary Cullen, Lámh Development and Liaison Officer
Ph. 059-9139657
Email: [email protected]