Key word signing is a communication strategy in which a person uses manual signs or gestures to emphasize the most important words in a spoken sentence. Rather than signing every word, the communicator signs only the key content words (for example, signing “drink” and “water” while saying “Do you want water?”). This technique, often used with individuals who have communication difficulties, pairs natural speech with visual signs to support understanding and expression. For SLPs, key word signing is an important augmentative communication approach that can facilitate language development in clients with developmental disabilities or language delays by providing a multimodal way to convey meaning.
Windsor, J., & Fristoe, M. “Key Word Signing: Perceived and Acoustic Differences Between Signed and Spoken Narratives.” Journal of Speech and Hearing Research 34 (1991). Link
Loncke, Filip T., et al. “Multimodality: A Basis for Augmentative and Alternative Communication – Psycholinguistic, Cognitive, and Clinical/Educational Aspects.” Disability & Rehabilitation 28 (2006) Link
uses manual signs alongside speech to support language development and comprehension, typically signing only the most important words in a sentence.
