PARENTS in Okehampton will find it easier to communicate with their deaf children thanks to a free weekend sign language course being run by Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education.

Exeter Deaf Academy is running three National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) Family Sign Language weekends for parents of deaf children aged under five early next year. The courses are open to people across the area.

Parents will learn the basics of British Sign Language (BSL), the language of deaf people in Britain. Topics will include family life, doing things together and storytelling. The courses will run on January 25 and 26, March 23 and 24, and May 4 and 5 in 2014. Accommodation, breakfast and lunch will be provided.

A massive 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents with little or no experience of deafness or knowledge of how to converse with a deaf person. The course will help parents learn how to communicate with their child more easily.

Jayne Dingle, who runs the weekends, said:?'The academy recognises that most deaf children are born into hearing families.

'With all the right support there is no reason why a deaf child cannot learn and develop at the same rate as a hearing child. Essential to this is early language acquisition.

For more information on the service contact Jayne Dingle on [email protected]">[email protected] or call 01392 267077 or 07789 450230.