A PROJECT to help teach children in Worcester schools to communicate better is being set up in the city.

Signalong is a communication system based on British Sign Language.

It was developed to be used with people who have communication disorders and/or learning difficulties.

Tutor Pam Gough has been working with children at Whittington CofE Primary School and is now hoping to extend the Signalong Club Project.

"I was first introduced to the system when my son was three-and-a-half years old," she said.

"He is autistic and at the time was completely non-verbal.

"The staff at his Nursery Assessment Unit (Thornton House) started using Signalong with him because he is a visual learner'.

"My son had such amazing results, he started speaking and seeking out interaction with others almost instantly."

After seeing her son's progress, Mrs Gough decided to get formal training herself and now runs her own business called Happy Hands.

"More and more mainstream staff are coming on the training courses because of the numbers of children with special educational needs (SEN) who are now attending mainstream schools," she said.

Mrs Gough contacted Gary Richards, headteacher at Whittington school, to discuss working with some of the pupils there on developing a Signalong club.

"My daughter is in reception at the school. One of her classmates, Ellie, has Down's Syndrome and relies on Signalong to communicate," Mrs Gough said.

"I thought it would be nice for the other children at the school to have an opportunity to learn how to use Signalong so they were able to communicate more effectively with Ellie."

Fifty-five children signed up to take part and three groups met once a week during their lunch break for six weeks.

"We learnt some basic sign language and how to use it in conversation, stories and songs/nursery rhymes," she added.

"The pupils guided me on what vocabulary they would like to learn signs for - for example, colours, animals, and so on.

"I have taken all of the input from the pupils at Whittington and now have a curriculum' as well as a small manual of signs specifically developed from the vocabulary we worked on.

" I hope to get involved with as many schools in Worcestershire as possible running Signalong clubs.

"It is an excellent skill for anyone to learn and it's a lot of fun as well.

"It is also lovely to see the other children signing to Ellie on the playground."

For more information or to discuss starting a Signalong Club at your school, contact Pam Gough at happy.hands@virgin.net or call her on 07967 452128.